Artist Profile: Reinaldo Gil Zambrano

Reinaldo Gil Zambrano a printmaking artist from Caracas, Venezuela now based out of Spokane, Washington. Steeped in storytelling, Zambrano’s work addresses human connection, social issues, personal narratives, and the concept of home. Zambrano has helped to develop the First Vandal Steamroller Project, the Ink Rally, and the Spokane Print & Publishing Center. He is a member of the Saranac Art Projects. His exhibit “Melao” is currently featured in Boswell Hall’s Corner Gallery until November 1. 

Zambrano has been inspired by the many places he’s lived.

“…Latin-America made me a storyteller and the US gave me the questions and challenges to be explored,” says Zambrano.

Sentinel: Your piece “The Ambition of One Upon Many” speaks to me about the exploitation of the working class and the environment by big corporations and those ‘on top,’ whose wealth is built by those ‘on the bottom.’ Could you talk a little bit about this piece? Would you say this is relevant to the environmental crisis and current state of capitalism?

Reinaldo Gil Zambrano: I could not have put it in better words, that’s the reality I wanted to show in that piece. Since I moved to the United States, I see that reality around and its repercussion towards the environment and well being of the individuals that are part of society. I am glad to see that the message was communicated well.

“THE AMBITION OF ONE UPON MANY” Linocut print on paper. 12 x 15 inches. Zambrano, 2017

S: Some of your pieces explore human connection, and home. What does home mean to you? When do you feel most connected to others?

RGZ: Home corresponds to a determined time and place [and] also the people that defined that specific “world” where we get to be.  There are two ideas of home that I believe to exist; the inner home and the external home. The inner home is always within you and gets recharged by stimuli that awakens the memories and transports you to those physical places where you once were. The external home is constantly changing defined with the people and things that are part of the environment where we are living in that particular moment. I feel connected with people in so many ways, many times there is a wordless dialogue created by the sharing of an experience, a meal or story. When we allow ourselves to be open and vulnerable we get to connect with others in a deeper way.

S: What is your creation process like? Do you have any creative rituals?

RGZ: I am constantly day dreaming. That is my profession :P. I feel that my mind is constantly looking for imagery without me truly pushing it. When it’s time to work at the studio that’s the moment to materialize things into the real world (that’s the challenge). I do sketching on a daily basis and listen to stories with the same frequency. The planning and resolution of a piece must be in a quiet space (no music), the labor in contrast allows music and podcasts but the conclusion is always welcome with a glass of Guatemalan rum.

S: Could you talk a little bit about your work with the Richmond Art Collective and the Saranac Art Projects? (Or any other projects that you’d like to talk about, like the Ink Rally or Steamroller Project.)

RGZ: Each one of these projects is different but have one thing in common: Community. Art making is a passion and language that unites us and must be shared for it to evolve and grow stronger. Art can empower others through education and that is the core of each one of the projects that I have the fortune of developing so far. 

RAC and SAP are art collectives that allow exchange of ideas between artists and the exhibition of our work to the community. I am no longer part of the Richmond Art Collective, now I have united forces with other 5 artists and developed the Spokane Print & Publishing Center which offers space, specialized equipment and classes to the community for the practice of all things print related (relief printing, intaglio, screen printing and letter press) as well as publication, writing workshops, board game prototyping, Nerd Craft and book binding. 

S: Why do you do art? What do you hope to accomplish by sharing your work?

RGZ: I look to create a dialogue and to keep stories alive. I do it because I can’t control myself to not do it. 

S: What is it like being a professional practicing artist?

RGZ: It is a constant love-hate relationship that teaches you patience and resilience. I see it like an exciting game where you look to strive for more intricate and difficult challenges and trust on your process and skills to materialize those ideas. There is a lot of frustration in the journey but there is also many rewards.

Bio information is from the artist’s website. Photos used with permission from the artist. For more info, please visit: http://www.reinaldogilzambrano.com/