Montreal artist Angelo David Russo aims to develop an approach to modern portraiture that is collaborative and goes beyond traditional ideas of the portrait by creating textured and sculptural mixed media paintings with surrealist, cubist and street art influences. Mentored by Leopold Plotek at Concordia University, it was in 2012 that Russo developed his signature style by using collage and tape-resist techniques which reflect the artists’ process of discovery of self and identity. 



Russo explores themes of the human psyche, while continuously experimenting with various techniques and materials. He is currently working on The Four Question Project, a conceptual art project composed of a series of paintings inspired by conversations with strangers. 



Russo values community engagement and collaboration among his peers. Since 2015 he has directed six multi-disciplinary art showcases in Montreal, offered a workshop for children at the MTL en Arts 2016 festival, and in 2019 he organized a silent art auction at BMO Bank of Montreal HQ which featured 30 Canadian artists and raised $12,000 for The Kids Help Phone. 



Committed to his art and community, Russo continues to develop projects that encourage connections between people while incorporating digital components, reshaping the way traditional art and digital art are used in today’s modern framework.

 

My body of work is based on the Dialogical Self Round Table theory by Hubert Hermans (1992). It can be broken down into multiple autonomous “I” positions, each voicing their artistic expression and evolution through their respective series. The subject focuses on the exploration of the self and how it relates to modern day society. The objective is to strengthen the bond between humans by gaining a greater sense of understanding for one another, through the internal exploration of our extended minds. 



I create mixed media paintings and digital drawings influenced by surrealism, cubism, and geometric abstraction. 



I think of my works as an ever-evolving journey of exploration through materials/techniques, as well as an artistic conceptualization of the psyche. My body of works branches out into various directions, as a means of maintaining balance between traditional, experimental and digital art. When people see my work, I would like them to be intrigued by the process that the pieces have undergone, as well as the multiple voices who hold a place at my round table.



My work is about the process of knowing and connecting with each other, within an attempt to develop a language for the visual representation of who we are as individuals.



-Angelo David Russo