John Sebastian Culqui (1972-present)
John S. Culqui was born in Lennox, California. John is a first-generation Ecuadorian American and the youngest of eight children. His exposure to the arts began at home as he observed his mother designing custom dresses for her clients and his father, a master jeweler, creating new pieces. John's family maintained their South American heritage while assimilating themselves to American cultural. This dual tradition would become the catalyst for John's artistic endeavors.
A typical Southern California kid growing up in the 70's and 80's, John spent a lot of time outdoors and visiting local beaches, skateparks and backyard bowls often.
"I remember as a kid going to the Dockwieler State Beach with my family. It was a ten minute drive from our home on Osage Avenue, straight down on Imperial Highway. The smell of the beach air was fresh and salty. The color of the water was this blue gray in the morning and in the afternoon the skies would clear it became a blue green and always cold. I now try to capture these smells and colors in my surf-themed art, along with the familiar Southern California landmarks such as the smoke stacks at El Porto, the ominous oil derricks looming just beyond the horizon up and down the coast and the nuclear power plant at San Onofre State Beach."
After graduating from high school, John attended Woodbury University in Burbank, California where John studied architecture and earned his degree. Upon completing his studies John took up painting as a way to stay creative, but John's training in architectural design fundamentals influenced his unique style and composition.
"I generate my art for the purpose that most artists do, to create dialogue, awareness, emotion and or a memory. In my skate and surf art, I want the viewer to feel the motion of the water, the moving board, smell the water and concrete, and to feel the grit of the wheels touching the asphalt. I hope to create enough iconographical clues throughout my painting that the viewer looks closer and ask questions as to what it all means. And, a way to make a more personal connection between myself, the viewer and the overall work"
John's work holds appeal for anyone who loves the Southern California culture and lifestyle. It showcases the iconic images of the coastal culture along Pacific Coast Highway and makes one long for summer. When viewing John's work, one can't help to feel as though they're dropping into a bowl or carving a wave. Watching an iconic SoCal sunset and feeling like a character from Endless Summer or Single Fin Yellow.
Exhibits:
Picture this Gallery, Long Beach, CA - Frida Kahlo (Group Exhibit), September
2013
VANS US Open of Surfing ATO, Huntington Beach, CA - July, 2013
Artery at the Lab, Costa Mesa, CA - Ocean Stoke, June, 2013
Shaper Supply Co., Mar Vista, CA - Off the South Bay Part 2, November, 2012
Picture this Gallery, Long Beach, CA - Dia de Los Muertos (Group Exhibit), November, 2012
Nikau Kai, Manhattan Beach, CA - Off the South Bay, June, 2012
Crewest Gallery, Los Angeles, CA - Top of the Dome 8 (Group Exhibit), November, 2011
Retrospect Galleries, Byron Bay NSW, AU - The Surf Culture Now (Group Exhibit), October, 2011
The Happening Gallery, Marina Del Rey, CA - Gaze (Group Exhibit), September, 2011
Picture this Gallery, Long Beach, CA - Frida Kahlo (Group Exhibit), September, 2011
International Surfing Museum, Huntington Beach, CA - Summer's Swell, July, 2011
PS Zask Gallery, Rolling Hills Estates, CA – Art of the Surf, June, 2011
Long Beach Art Museum, Long Beach, CA– Art Auction XIV, May, 2011
Project X Art Gallery, Solana Beach, CA – Oceansize, March, 2011
SUP Cafe, Long Beach, CA – Offshore, March, 2011
Picture this Gallery, Long Beach, CA - La Virgen (Group Exhibit), December, 2010
PB Surf Shop, Pacific Beach, CA - (Group Exhibit), December, 2010
The Surfing Heritage Foundation, Costa Mesa, CA - Big Group Show (Group Exhibit), November, 2010
Curbside Gallery, Santa Ana, CA - Come Back With my Whale, October, 2010
Picture this Gallery, Long Beach, CA - Frida Kahlo (Group Exhibit), September, 2010
Cannibal Flower, Costa Mesa, CA - (Group Exhibit), July, 2010
Hampton Fine Art Gallery, Greensboro, GA - 4th Annual Art Exhibit (Group
Exhibit), July, 2010
Santiago Art Walk, Santa Ana, CA - July, 2010
SIMA 21st Annual Waterman's Ball Art Auction, Laguna Niguel, CA - July, 2010
Aquarium of the Pacific, Long Beach, CA - Night Dive (Group Exhibit), June, 2010
Santiago Art Walk, Santa Ana, CA - June, 2010
Gallery 212, Seal Beach, CA - (Group Exhibit), May, 2010
Cannibal Flower, Los Angeles, CA - (Group Exhibit), March, 2010
The Surfing Heritage Foundation, Costa Mesa, CA - Doc Porto, March, 2010
Cannibal Flower, Los Angeles, CA - (Group Exhibit), January, 2010
Aquarium of the Pacific, Long Beach, CA - Night Dive (Group Exhibit), 2010
New Puppy Gallery, Los Angeles, CA - From Within the Shadows (Group Exhibit), 2010
DDR Projects, Long Beach, CA - Looking Into The Sun (Group Exhibit), 2009
Long Beach Art Museum, Long Beach, CA- Art Auction XIII, (Group Exhibit), 2009
DDR Projects, Long Beach, CA- Heedless Appetence, 2009
Hampton Fine Art Gallery, Greensboro, GA - 3rd Annual Local Artist (Group
Exhibit), 2009
Project Ethos "X", Hollywood, CA - Surf Shed Installation (Group Exhibit), 2009
Phantom Galleries L.A., Long Beach, CA - Surf and Turf, 2009
The Cellar, Long Beach, CA - Underground (Group Exhibit), 2009
Circa 92 Salon, Santa Ana, CA - Dia De Los Difuntos, 2008
OCAF Southworks Juried Art Exhibit, Watkinsville GA, - (Group Exhibit), 2008
Circa 92 Salon, Santa Ana, CA - John S. Culqui Collective, 2007
Circa 92 Salon, Santa Ana, CA - (Group Exhibit), 2006
OCAF Southworks Juried Art Exhibit, Watkinsville GA, - (Group Exhibit), 2005