Stewart Cubillos is a self-taught artist, born and raised in the suburbs of Los Angeles. Working mainly with the mediums of oil paint and drawing, he combines his subjects with geometrical architecture to lend his portraits a striking dimensionality. With each piece the artist aims to portray a certain psychological depth of his subject - a glance at the skeleton of consciousness that defines their character and emotions.

Cubillos’ figures express emotions in the same way a car’s headlights and grille may suggest certain facial expressions. Inspired by the immersive universes of cartoons and videogames, he combines an obsession with detail with the freedom of imagination to build his own unique world of characters which he employs to reflect on personal experiences and to amplify the inner psyche.

As a classically trained pianist, the influence of music seeps into Cubillos’ work through the use of repeated motifs and colours that symbolize emotion. His color palette is built up out of individual pieces based on the musical keys and he uses only the tonalities warranted by the subject matter.

Cubillos currently lives and works in Los Angeles.