Sam Rodriguez is an artist from San Jose, California, who creates some of the most unique portraits you have ever seen. They could be described as a mix of typography, shapes, and traditional portraits.
Each of Rodriguez’s works focuses on a single human subject. However, the viewer usually doesn’t get a chance to get a good look because some of the subject’s facial features are hidden with letters and objects.
These letters and objects don’t just serve to keep the viewer wondering what’s behind them and prompt them to imagine what is behind them. They also highlight the subject’s individuality and reveal more about their personality, interests, and background.
“I think of my works as landscape paintings, except my observations consist of language, and culture – in the same way someone would render a physical landscape I render cultural ones. I’m observing the cultural metaphorical landscape,” Rodriguez explains his approach in an interview with Booooooom.
Rodriguez’s unique style is influenced by his early artistic beginnings as a graffiti artist. He later pursued formal art education at California College of the Arts in San Francisco. His works have been exhibited in public spaces and art galleries while also being featured in advertisement campaigns and media publications. Check out more of them below.
