Romain Lewis – mastering visual storytelling

In a world where life mirrors natural beauty, an artist emerges on the local scene, eager to paint his dreams into a majestic reality. Romain Lewis is no stranger to art. In fact, he made his creative debut a few years ago as a receipt artist. Today, this self-taught artist celebrates yet another chapter of his journey with his sought-after masterpieces on canvas.

“I wanted the level of expression it allowed; not only in terms of what you see on the canvas, but also in the discipline of teaching my body a skill. Sketching is a love interest; painting is a lifelong passion,” Lewis said.

His interest began at the tender age of five. During those formative years, the walls of his grandmother’s house functioned as his murals. And, instead of being furious, this maternal figure encouraged him to explore imagination beyond the corners of his mind. “I love anime and so I’d draw characters everywhere. All my school note books had more drawings than notes, even my Bible wasn’t spared from my sketching,” he added.

Lewis, who says he’s a surrealist, has a deep appreciation for the art of storytelling. Others have called him a fine artist, even a figurative one, but surrealism resonates with his soul because he doesn’t subscribe to one style. Although techniques are repeated, his only claim to artistic fame is seen in the evolution of his work.

With impressive pieces already in his creative catalogue, the artist shared his favourite among the collection. “I recently designed three characters for an international publisher to use as book covers. It was my first time doing covers. Those characters were my way of serving the nation and representing our culture. I’m very proud of those covers.”

He also made special mention of his receipt art drawings, which he loves and misses dearly. This innovation became the catalyst for his career as an artist. As for the paintings, “The ones that have stood out to me the most were the three entries of my ‘No Evil’ series. My largest and most ambitious paintings to date,” and ones that connected with viewers in his recent showing at the Constant Spring location of Cafe Blue.

THOUGHT-PROVOKING

Drawing on passion and inspiration, his recent pop-up exhibition at Cafe Blue stood proudly as an introduction to Lewis’ more aesthetically pleasing and thought-provoking bodies of work. “The work featured was from my ‘No Evil’ and ‘Hope’ series. Those pieces, I felt, would command attention, and create space for people to slow down, reflect and to experience a positive burst of emotion, or at least experience a useful moment of introspection. Art is a vehicle for community, culture, inspiration, as well as leisure.”

The creative was grateful to collaborate with the coffee company, which he said inspired him to put pen to paper in the most artistic way in the first place. “The Cafe Blue brand and my persona as The Friendly Alien together have produced many interesting art works in past years, namely my receipt art drawings. This beloved café is very pro creative, pro community and pro expression. So, it was a natural fit and the time felt right,” he highlighted.

Juggling a nine-to-five and dedicating time to family while pursuing art hasn’t been easy. His biggest obstacle to date is time; time to produce quality work. “Time management is the weapon formed against artists. I plan every day as best as possible and prioritise the needs of the day as it comes. In a fast-paced world, being slow can mean being forgotten. Luckily, I’m getting faster,” he noted. Lewis also remains indebted to his beautiful support system, who continues to show up in every way possible.

LIFELONG CAREER

The artist hopes to have a lifelong career of work that moves people, “I could not predict this path being as transformative as it has been; for myself and for those who have been positively impacted by my work. This journey has truly been one of enlightenment.”

If you’re a creative who would like to paint on your artistic dreams or one who might be afraid of taking that leap of faith into the wonderful world of art, Lewis had this to say, “Art will never stop calling out to you. It’s a better life if you answer.”

krysta.anderson@gleanerjm.com