Every person, every place, every object has a story. Some stories are mundane, others rival the works of Ovid and Shakesphere in pure dramatics. I aim to tell these stories through the visual means of art. My name is Michael Rego, an artist,storyteller and tearful Shoprite cashier from the lovely little suburbian burg of Hillsborough,New Jersey.

I work with a mixture of traditional and digital media. Traditionally I work with acrylic, watercolor,gouache,ink,colored pencil and graphite pencil. Digitally I use an IPad with procreate, but I also have some knowledge of photoshop. My work mainly focuses on character design and storytelling. Character design is all about using visual cues to communicate with the viewer. In doing this, I utilize shape,color and other design elements to not only craft an interesting composition, but to flesh out a story and character. So naturally, I primarily work with figure in my works. My art is stylized, and I work to exaggerate the proportions of the figure, particularly the eyes since they are the focal point of the face. My style can be compartmentalized into being either cartoony or just generally stylized, differing on the context and nature of the piece.

 

In terms of themes, Fantasy is one I explore the most. The great thing about art is that you can create anything you can imagine, so I try to portray subjects and scenarios that can’t exist outside the realm of imagination. I love all kinds of fantasy from werewolves to witches to fairy tale royalty. I like to experiment with symbolism,references and concepts in depicting these perennial fictional favorites. Another theme I love to tap into is nostalgia.

 

 My art is majorly influenced by my childhood. I was born in 2001, so I mainly look to the 00s and early 2010s for references, though I also like to look back to the 80s and 90s as well. These eras really are influential because either I lived through them or people I know and places I’ve been have lived through them. For example, my grandmother’s old development was built in the mid 90s, so the structure of the neighbor is an obvious product of the time. And considering there were so many memories made there or stories that take place there, it just really conjures this abstract feeling of comfort and nostalgia.  I like archiving the past and channeling the energy that creates. Video Games, particularly from my childhood really influence my art style and designs. The graphic,bubbly, whimsical  and weird aesthetics from games like Pokemon,Animal Crossing,Mario and Zelda have shaped me into the artist I am. Japanese culture and art also inspires my art. Ever since a fairly young age I have been enamoured with Japan, from it’s tradition to its media to it’s culture and especially the art. It just interests me how there can be a place so different to what I know, but similar in just as many ways. World Culture in general really interests me. I'm a second generation Portuguese American, so the experience of growing up with a culture that most Americans don’t know anything about makes me appreciate the contrasting cultures of the world.  I also love animation, of all kinds. Specifically, I’m inspired by the works of Disney and Miyazaki with the heartwarming and sanguine art styles. 

 

My art is emotional and dramatic with a dash of weirdness all but together in a pretty little package, so these inspirations have really built me into the artist I am now. I also utilize my knowledge of pop culture,fashion history and general history to craft a character and piece together. My artwork heavily represents homosexuality and same sex relationships. As a gay artist, I recognize that I tend to feel at times underrepresented and misrepresented in pop culture. So I figured I had to manifest and create what I want to see by creating characters and stories that feel more authentic and genuine to combat what I find stereotypical and contrived. It’s a similar feeling that I feel as someone coming from the Portuguese American diaspora. Our culture is so underrepresented in the media, most people in the US just lump it in with other European cultures nearby the region. And that’s not even considering the fact I’m Azorean, giving me a cultural experience that even other Portuguese people might not know. So I find it important to show that culture in my art and stories, to be the representation I’d wish to see in the world. I feel like one part of my identity is misconstrued as a shallow caricature and another is invisible in modern American society. So It’s my responsibility to represent what I think is missing.

 

Overall, My art is an amalgamation of everything I love. I love to tell stories, create characters and create beauty for a world that at times can seem horribly ugly.