The real-life Edward Scissorhands

UP Fine Arts alum Ryan Villamael has experimented with art forms like painting and sculpture, but he always finds himself coming back to the medium he’s practiced since high school: paper cutting. Since graduating in 2009, Ryan has exhibited his work locally and in Singapore and Hong Kong and has staged three solo exhibits to date. Currently, he is shortlisted for this year’s Ateneo Art Awards and has taken time out of holing up in his studio and mounting exhibits to design YStyle’s logo for July.             —Cai Subijano

YSTYLE: Which projects do you feel you are most known for, or received a lot of exposure for?

RYAN VILLAMAEL: Paper cut-outs

When you hear “YStyle,” what kind of images or ideas does your mind conjure up?

Something fresh and tasteful. 

What was your concept for the new YStyle logo?

Space and galaxies. It’s really fascinating to look at photos of vast empty spaces of the universe, which are mostly composed of just lights and stars, nothing more...l guess?

Were you listening to music while you were designing it? What song? On purpose or on shuffle?

Let Forever Be by Chemical Brothers. I’d like to believe it was played on shuffle 

Who/what inspires your art?

It draws from a lot of different things: comics, TV, movies, documentaries, fiction, the street, everyday events and situations and many other piles of things, plus the great help of the Internet. 

Who/what inspires your personal fashion sense?

I don’t really know. I just wear something that’s comfortable — I can just roll out of bed and go.

Half the year is almost over. How did you spend the first half?

Busy working long hours in the studio. I didn’t even notice that it’s June...Oh! Is it July already?!

What upcoming projects do you have?

I will be having a solo show coming this October at Silverlens Galleries.

How do you feel about being shortlisted for the Ateneo Art Awards?

!@#$%^&*!  Exciting!

In case our readers would like to check out your work, do you have an online website/portfolio?

Cutfelt.tumblr.com and @cutfelt on Instagram.