On April 30, HCC’s Media, Visual, and Performing Arts department hosted the opening ceremony for the Juried Student Art Exhibition inside the Spring Branch campus art gallery. The exhibition showcased the work of level 1 and level 2 studio art students from the Spring Branch, Katy, and Alief campuses. Awards were given out for painting, drawing, digital media, and printmaking.
Ruben Rodriguez, an art student who also goes by Dario, wore a stylish red suit for the ceremony where his large painting was showcased. Covered with familiar iconography and pop culture figures, from Kobe Bryant to Captain America, the painting illustrates two distinct paths that humans take: the path of motivation and discipline versus the path of addiction and greed. “The good path versus the bad path,” as described by Ruben.
Ruben’s faith in Jesus Christ helped motivate the artist to design the painting. “For me, being here to have these opportunities to praise the lord with my art is one of the biggest flexes I can honestly have,” Ruben told the Egalitarian.
The artist referred to scriptures in the bible about humans having free will. While he acknowledges this to be true, Ruben also believes there are consequences for following a less righteous path. Something he made sure to depict with recognizable villainous characters like Marvel’s Thanos on one side of the painting and inspirational figures like Kobe Bryant on the other.
“There are consequences for your actions, “said Ruben. “Everything you see here is free will, free choice.”
Ruben made sure his piece featured figures and images that not only represent motivation but also the themes present in the bible. This included marathon runners, famous athletes, and even a young man who chose to listen to Christ’s teachings instead of mindlessly scrolling on his phone. Ruben aimed for viewers to grasp the significance of making choices and the positive outcomes that can result from those decisions.
Ruben’s art painting, along with other juried student artworks, can be viewed at the Spring Branch art gallery.
