Raphael Capalad

Voltrom

Artist Statement
What interests me the most about this theme is how narrative plays such an important role in illustration. As an illustrator, it is up to me to convey a story, an atmosphere and thoughts of a writer. Being granted this occasion to be part of this year’s KULTURA is such a benefit since I can tell my own stories.

Each of these pieces is a representation of stories I love to tell to my friends. Being part of KULTURA, I’m able to tell these stories to more people. One is a tale of my introduction to Japanese culture and the other is one about my grandpa and his determination to see my grandmother.

I hope you enjoy these stories I’ve chose as much as I enjoy telling them.

Artist Biography

In September 13, 1984 in Quezon City in the Philippines at about 11:00 A.M., Raphael Salazar Capalad indicated that he was ready to get out into the world.

When Raphy was three years and a half-month old, we moved to Canada. In Senior Kindergarten, a painting he created was exhibited at the Scarborough Town Centre as part of an art show with works from students all around Toronto. His painting was of me standing beside him while he was dressed as a superhero he named “The Radar”.

High school was where his artistic talent in drawing and sense of humor emerged. He provided the illustrations for his school paper and drew portraits of cute girls at his school to get their MSN emails. Towards the end of this high school years, he had a co-op placement at the Reactor Art and Design where he had first hand experience in the world he wanted to be in. In 2009, he graduated from the Ontario College of Arts and Design majoring in Illustration.

Today, he resides in the east end of Toronto close to Metro Toronto Zoo where he sometimes visits his old friends, the white wolves.

-Lanniene S. Capalad, Raphy’s Mother