Artist Statement
My passion for art began at a young age. I was entranced by the comic book worlds of heroes and villains. After many years of drawing with pencil and ink, I finally embraced the brilliance of color. The theme that runs throughout my work is a drive to grasp and convey the magnificence of world that surrounds all of us. Whether that may be found in a breathtaking landscape, in the face of a muddied elephant, or in the ghostly celestial form of a nebula.
In Physics, I found a subject that held incredible elegance and beauty; where the character of light can be described by a few elegant equations. For those who labor to understand them, Maxwell’s Equations are as magnificent as Starry Night, or the Pietà. In studying Physics I discovered new worlds within and beyond the one that I had known. I am driven by a desire to bring these seemingly otherworldly scientific subjects to a broader audience through Art.
Since the murder of George Floyd, on May 25th, 2020, my eyes have been opened to the systematic injustices that are part and parcel to the country I call home. Following the realization of my own ignorance to this basic American truth, I have come upon many inspirational voices; one in particular has struck me for his deeply insightful thoughts and his piercing commentary, James Baldwin.
“The role of the artist is exactly the same as the role of the lover. If I love you, I have to make you conscious of the things you don’t see.”
James Baldwin
Artist Biography
Joshua was born in Ventura County, CA. His family moved to the Napa Valley when he was in grade school, it was around this time when he began drawing with pencil and paper. In his senior year of high school he participated in his first street painting festival, La Starda dell’ Arte.
After moving to Santa Barbara to attend college, he became fascinated with Philosophy. Years of drawing up to that point had taught him a great deal about the many shapes, forms and shades of nature; studying Philosophy kindled a desire to understand the inner workings of nature.
Throughout his time studying in Santa Barbara, he continued to participate in street painting festivals, in northern and southern California. He also began painting with oils after taking a course in oil painting at Santa Barbara City College.
His hunger for understanding drove him to study Physics as well as Philosophy; eventually earning a bachelors degrees in both subjects from the University of California at Santa Barbara. And later a masters degree in Physics from the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, where he also created large scale acrylic murals inspired by cosmic imagery.
Today, Joshua works primarily in Oil, but also works in Charcoal, Oil Pastel, and continues to create large scale murals in Chalk Pastel and Acrylic.
Joshua Ryan Murillo 