Rom Villaseran is a contemporary visual artist from the Philippines whose renderings of the natural world dwell in the realms of dreams and fantasy. His work has been described as neo-surrealist and hallucinogenic, combining the aesthetics of surrealism and science fiction to reveal the inner workings of the artist’s vivid imagination.
With an emphasis on narrative and significant attention to detail, his large acrylic-on-canvas paintings explore themes of death and decay, memories and dreams, and the relationship between humans and their environments. Looking at one of his paintings feels like stepping into an alternate universe, where every turn uncovers new life forms or structures that have been skillfully woven into the greater landscape.
Villaseran has few rules when it comes to his artistic process, favoring an organic approach that embraces improvisation and follows the natural evolution of his medium. Oftentimes, before he begins creating a particular piece, he has little idea as to what kind of direction the art will take. He starts by simply splashing the paint across his canvas in broad strokes, then leaves the paint to dry, revealing different textures and shapes. Working in the moment, the artist will then add in details to help form an overall concept. The process is reminiscent of the game we play when we look at clouds in the sky, using our imaginations to invent new stories and characters out of the abstract forms.
Born in Manila, Villaseran studied architecture at the University of Santo Tomas before receiving a Certificate of Fine Arts in Visual Communication from the University of the Philippines. Since then, he has exhibited in a number of solo shows in the Philippines, Signapore and Japan.
View more of Rom Villaseran’s artwork on his website.
"Bhabharosi" at Nicodim Gallery in Los Angeles is the first solo show from 
Photographer 
The shadows on the sidewalks around Redwood City, Calif., have been doing strange things for the past year. That’s because