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Jon Poblador

We met Jon Poblador, an American artist, during his exhibition at 103 gallery(which hosts an exhibition related to design and art each month. After arriving in Guangzhou in 2014, he is now also working in an international school as an art tutor. But he feels more relaxed when he shuts himself in his studio to paint and draw, or when he sneaks out to participate in artistic projects on his holidays.

In his latest exhibition held in Guangzhou 103 gallery ,which is titled Visible Meditation, Jon Poblador uses multiple ways to express the idea of meditation in a visible way. This exhibition presents his art pieces in three parts, including his minimalist paintings and drawings.

Jon POBLADOR

1. Q:Could you first introduce yourself to people who don’t know about you? Like what makes you come to Guangzhou? What are you doing now?

A:I moved to Guangzhou in July 2014 to work as a high school art teacher at Nansha College Preparatory Academy. I wanted to leave the United States to experience new things.

2. Q:Why do you want to do this exhibition with 103store? What is your expectation about this exhibition? 

A:For the past few years I have been making paintings and drawings continuously during my free time at night and on weekends. Artists communicate through their work and if my paintings just stay in my studio, then what is the point of making them? They need to go out and see the world and so I see this exhibition at the 103store as an opportunity to expose me and my work to the public here in Guangzhou. I expect to meet new people, talk about my work, and to explain what I do and why I do it.

3. Q:The batch of exhibits are mostly created in your Guangzhou studio, do they have some kind of connection with Guangzhou city?

A:Sometimes, yes. I often name paintings using geological landmarks so, for example, I have a painting called Baiyun Mountain. As I said, I am always influenced by the things I see around me.

Pamponia imperatoria, Graphite on Paper, 12.2012, 76 x 56 cm

4. Q:What do you like or don’t like about Guangzhou?

A:I like Guangzhou because I think there's a lot of potential here for me as an artist. It is a vibrant, major metropolitan city. What I don't like about it (and maybe this is due to language barriers or my unfamiliarity) is that it's difficult for me to find a visual arts community that is outside of traditional / academic / representational painting. I need to push myself creatively and philosophically and sometimes having people with a similar desire or vision helps with that. A lot can happen when artists sit around for a long time drinking tea or coffee. Ha ha.

Another one is art supplies. I don't like buying art supplies online because I prefer to physically touch them. I have not seen an art supply store in the city that carry a wide variety of supplies like I have visited in Beijing.

5. Q:Being an artist is not easy to many, how did you come to be involved? What makes you keep creating?

A:Ever since I was a teenager I knew I wanted to do something within the visual arts. I fell in love with painting when I first went to college and I did not question what I was doing or how my decisions would be affecting my future. It's about following a dream. Of course I am very fortunate to earn a living as a teacher but, honestly, I am most happy when I am working in my studio. 

(By Jecey)


Apache Junction, Acrylic on Linen, 11.2016, 60 x 60 cm


Queen Creek, Acrylic on Linen, 11.2016, 60 x 60 cm


Middle Kingdom 01, Acrylic on Linen, 07.2015, 50 x 40 cm


Batocera Hercules Maaki, Graphite Pencil on Paper, 07.2016, 76 x 56 cm


Untitled (Insect), Graphite on Paper, 07.2015, 76 x 56 cm

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