The Visual Poetry of Artist Gig Depio
BY BETH ILAGAN
Nevada (particularly Las Vegas) is so proud to have a very talented, creative, and radical artist in residence with a unique style of his own! I am referring to Gig Depio, a local painter who focuses mainly on public art and large-scale oil paintings. Once you see one of his paintings, it will forever be imprinted on your memory.
Aside from creating gigantic works of art, his style is one of a kind, best described in strong rough strokes of massive swirls and converging lines. His painting technique is “Alla Prima,” meaning wet-on-wet, layering wet paint over previously administered layers of wet paint in one sitting. He uses oil as his medium for canvas, board, and murals (artwork applied directly to a wall).
Depio’s topics cover American culture and its history, particularly the exploration of the unfamiliar west and its later expansion, industrialization, entertainment, and creative destruction. Also, he depicts the American influence across the globe and the convergence of American, Philippine, and Spanish histories at the turn of the 20th century and in contemporary society. Artists who have influenced his style of painting include Fernando Amorsolo, Diego Velasquez, Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, and Tintoretto.
According to Depio, “depicting the past is a way to understand how we arrived in the present.” He incorporates history and social politics in his realist paintings. He presents the conjunctions of contemporary and historical forces in the form of intense, often large-scale figurative compositions. To fully appreciate his art, it has to be seen in person, to feel it, and truly experience his message in the painting.
Breaking Armistice – 96” x 72” Oil on Canvas – 2014 – Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art Collection
Depio has been an exponent for public, non-profit, and independent art in Nevada since 2009. A recipient of the 2016 Nevada Arts Council Fellowship Grant in Painting, Depio has exhibited across Nevada, with shows at the Nevada Museum of Art, the University of Nevada Las Vegas, the University of Nevada Reno, and the Clark County Winchester Cultural Center Gallery, among others. He has extended his advocacy internationally to include exhibitions with the National Commission for Culture and Arts (NCCA), Manila, Philippines, in 2018 and 2019; the 58th Venice Biennale Giudecca Art District (GAD), Venice, Italy; and the Three Works Gallery in Scarborough, Yorkshire, United Kingdom.
He was born in the Philippines in 1977. He came from a family of artists—his father, Professor Gig de Pio, Sr. (School of Fine Arts, University of the Philippines), his mother, Fe Esterlina, who used to be the Art Director for Sampaguita Pictures (a Philippine film production company) and an art gallery owner, and two out of four other brothers, Vincent and Simkin who are also very accomplished painters.
That immersive experience of working in an art studio at a young age significantly influenced his artistic journey. His very first mentor was his father. In high school, Depio and his brothers used to work as assistants in their father’s studio and framing shop. He spent countless hours helping his father paint portraits and murals. Also, after school, he hung around the film studios where his mother worked. These past artistic experiences played a huge role in how things come together in his work, seeing his paintings as a “stage” to manifest an evolving worldview.
Level the Playing Field, 156” x 78” – Oil on Canvas – 2022, City of Las Vegas Public Art Collection
Initially, he dabbled in business school at the Ateneo University in Manila before he decided to become a professional artist. He moved to the United States in 2002 and lived in cities like Boston, San Jose, and Los Angeles before planting himself permanently in Las Vegas. One of the largest pieces he has painted is a 40′ x 12′ two-dimensional oil on canvas titled “Level the Playing Field” commissioned by the Clark County Government, which took about 15 months of grueling studio work, 12-14 hours a day.
Recently, he painted a 40′ x 11′ mural for the Moapa Valley Community Center titled “Through the Muddy.” He also exhibited his work “Gig Depio: Americana with Cadmium Orange” at the Capital City Arts Initiative (CCAI) and the CCAI Courthouse Gallery in Carson City.
Through the Muddy, 480” x 144” – Oil on Canvas – 2018, Clark County Public Art Collection
Friends and colleagues who helped him along the way include Robert Tracy at UNLV and Darren Johnson of the Las Vegas-Clark County Library Galleries. Colleagues overseas include Italian curator Pier Paolo Scelsi, Chris Shaw of Three Works Gallery, Phil King of Turps Painting School, Egai Fernandez of the National Commission of Culture and Arts in the Philippines, and Manuel Ocampo from Spain/Philippines, among many others.
Depio says, “It’s in these conversations online and in real life where we begin to deeply learn about how we are situated in this world of competing world views. The greatest accomplishment of an artist is to strive to know oneself as an individual among individuals.”
Deadlines and boredom typically motivate him to get up in the morning. He devotes up to 12-14 hours of painting, mostly done at night. His hobbies include construction, carpentry, and reading about metaphysics.
When asked what’s new in the art world, Depio responded, “the greatest challenge or barrier in the art world is the political aspect of art. One has to actually see and fully appreciate your work to be recognized in the field of art. When asked what is now trending in the artworld, Depio states that NFTs are the newest thing. These are unique pieces of cryptographic tokens linked to a blockchain, such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, that cannot be replicated. “Tokenizing” these real-world tangible assets or art makes buying, selling, and trading them more efficient while reducing the probability of fraud.”
What puts a smile on Gig’s face is finishing a giant piece of work. He loves the process of creating something … and we’re so glad he does.
For more information: gigdepio.com
Gig Depio stands beside Catch 22 – 96” x 48” – Oil on Canvas – 2013