A Sense of Place: The Art of Impasto | Joey Agbayani

Joey Agbayani has seen many places.  He spent his young life looking at travel books, inspired by the iconic landmarks and vistas the world has to offer. From those pages, he was able to cultivate his talent to paint them. And thus began his journey that took him far and wide.

His multi-talented and multi-hyphenated career – from film director, producer, to matte painter, animator, and photographer, among many others – took him to many places. And the more places he’s been, the more his experiences grew, earning him numerous accolades in international film festivals for his unique creative vision.

After much traveling, he is never more at home than his art, where he begins on a blank canvas, the ideal place to start. Agbayani’s works are grounded in the world around us – in real locales and place markers – and imbues it with an air of magic, transporting the viewer to an almost fantastical place. His vivid use of color highlights certain aspects of the composition, whether they be doors, windows, or a piece of exposed pipe. He has adopted a new style of combining impasto with the use of modeling paste and watercolor washes, along with a repertoire of glazing and dry brush techniques.

Through the many places he has painted, we get to experience the world through Agbayani’s eyes.