As drag continues to become more and more mainstream, fan art has taken to the spotlight as well. Each fan artist has their own style and flair they put on the pieces they create. One up and coming New York based artist and illustrator, Fredy Ralda, has created amazing silhouettes of all our favorite queens, many with just two colors! His signature pink and black portraits are blowing up, and so is his popularity with the queens! Fredy has rubbed elbows with just about every season sixer, and has been working hard to create beautiful artwork to honor the queens he loves.
Fredy studied illustration and received his BFA from The Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. He's currently preparing his first solo art show in the fall of 2015 in Brooklyn. This, however, is not his first show. At the ripe young age of 7, a youthful Mr. Ralda had his very first art show at a local library where he displayed his collection of Paper Hearts. Since then he has dedicated his life to art!
He draws inspiration from various places but the constant has remained- people in his world. As he puts it, himself:
Fredy studied illustration and received his BFA from The Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. He's currently preparing his first solo art show in the fall of 2015 in Brooklyn. This, however, is not his first show. At the ripe young age of 7, a youthful Mr. Ralda had his very first art show at a local library where he displayed his collection of Paper Hearts. Since then he has dedicated his life to art!
He draws inspiration from various places but the constant has remained- people in his world. As he puts it, himself:
As a very little Fredy, I wanted to grow up and create pretty things that would make people happy. I wanted people to feel how I felt when I would look at things that I found interesting and beautiful, things that moved me to aesthetic appreciation.
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This inclination is what dictates and drives his artistic development. Primarily a traditional oil painter, Fredy has recently started working digitally and creates works of art on an iPad. He uses a program which allows him to “finger paint," giving him a new medium to express his love for everything from fashion to pop culture. When we asked him about how he ultimately decided to use this method he said:
I was never really a big fan of digital art because I believed it lacked the heart and passion I believed art needed to embody. Once I realized I could use my fingers to create images rather than a mouse, it opened up a whole new artistic space for me. I came to realize I was too entrapped in the romantic notion of the traditional artist painting his days away on canvas. I soon realized that I could have fun and still create art that would bring happiness to others.
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As he prepares for his first art show, he plans to merge the digital with the traditional. His show will be primarily a mix of who he sees as current leaders and supporters of the LGBTQI community. Fredy says he chose this subject matter because:
I wanted to say thank you to all the men, women and those who identify as other who have fought for me. The life I lead is because there were people like Harvey Milk, The Stonewall Rioters, Oscar Wilde and many others who lived their truth and by doing so they paved a road that has allowed me to live mine. My portraits will be of those whom I feel are currently working hard for the next generation and inspiring them to live their truths
Fredy is certainly an artist to keep an eye on! His amazing medium for creations of his work combined with the talented artistic ability within him has resulted in some amazing portraits. He might just be the drag fan art world's next Chad Sell. As he continues to create his amazing portraits we can't wait to see where his career and talent take him next!
Check out some of his amazing season 6 portraits:
Check out some of his amazing season 6 portraits:
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Stay tuned for a Fredy Ralda giveaway with signed art and t-shirts from the RuPaul's Drag Race season 6 queens!
