Comic books were Pablo Youngs’ first introduction to art. Youngs and his brothers grew up reading superhero comics. He was particularly fascinated when he learned that different artists designed each character and story. Youngs found himself seeking out the artists as much as the fictional characters when selecting his books. Once he began drawing, he modeled his style on the comic book artists who drew him to art. He expanded his artistic palate while earning a BFA in Art at the University of Rhode Island, reimagining his style from these new inspirations. “I love art, I admire art, I appreciate art, and I respect art,” Youngs says. “Creating and putting art into the world can often be a thankless job, but is incredibly important to the survival of our individual identities as human beings.” Youngs has proudly included his Mexican-American heritage in his work, especially Dia de los Muertos, a holiday involving friends and family who gather to pay respects and remember those who have passed. Youngs pays homage by including dancing skeletons and similar spiritual imagery in his work.
“The cover for this month’s issue is a brand-new design meant to commemorate Hispanic Heritage Month, a time of the year that I hold very dear to my heart,” Youngs says. “The shape of the image mimics a traditional papel picado banner. Papel picado is a traditional Mexican decorative craft made by cutting elaborate designs into sheets of tissue paper. I designed a stencil inspired by traditional papel picado and Día de los Muertos designs. I cut the image out by hand using a clear draft film and X-Acto blade and sprayed two layers down with spray paint to give the effect of a drop shadow.”
Youngs is a painter and printmaker by practice. He developed his style over time, which took a lot of patience as he evolved from traditional brush painting to stencil work. His portfolio is available on Instagram (@theartofpablo), and he has recently started displaying his work at La Galleria del Pueblo art gallery in Central Falls, which also serves as the headquarters for Rhode Island Latino Arts. Youngs concludes, “Having the opportunity to channel my interests and passions into something tangible and share it with the world is incredibly special.”
