PROJECT ONWARD

Pedro Basantes b. 1985, Chicago, IL

Pedro's art is strongly influenced by being raised in Chicago. Identified as an artist at an early age, he attended Chicago's Academy of the Arts in high school and began working at Project Onward in 2006.

Pedro's multi-layer approach to painting creates life-like light and shadow - his heroes are classical and modernist painters such as Leonardo DaVinci and Michelangelo, and Claude Monet, Jackson Pollack and Chuck Close. Interested in architecture, engineering and photography as well as art history, Pedro says of his work, "I don't have structure in my own life, but art gives me structure. That's why I work with architecture."

Pedro's architecture paintings tell of the demolitions of the Chicago Housing Projects and Cabrini Green in relation to current vibrant cityscapes of Chicago. His art making practice is influenced by the city but also acts as his mental get away. "I grew up watching the city grow. I've always been interested in buildings. In the city everything compliments its surroundings and has its own personality."