Aref, Luis

Luis Aref is from the eastern United States. He lives and works in Tokyo. His works range from obscure symbolism to poetic passages. Aref often creates works with references regarding intrusive thoughts to mental health struggles. Themes often being dark, Aref uses personal experience and unique source material to get through to the viewer. 

Paintings & Illustrations

Relief/Woodblock prints, Silkscreen, & Monotype prints

Hand bounded book using cloth, paper, and thread. Inserted into the cover and the pages of the book are sheets of Washi/和紙. On the sheets, the letter “i”, made with a linocut print. The i represents the importance of oneself, as well of the importance of using being analog whenever one can.

The paper is handmade from Korea, and I bathed it in coffee for the specific color. The initial capitals in the verses were made using linocuts and ink. I have also applied gold leaf to the work. The rest of the letters were made by burning the letters into the wood and printing them on the paper.

The passages are inspired by a novel by C.S Lewis called The Screwtape Letters, and my fear of Hell. 

Serpent’s Allurement is part of a group exhibition project I did at the art gallery in Temple University Japan. 

Photography

Biography

Luis Aref is an artist and was born in 1997. He grew up in Tampa with a unique background. He moved to Japan in 2018. It was a “restart” in a sense. It didn’t have to be Japan, it could’ve been anywhere.

He wanted to go somewhere he didn’t know anybody. In doing so, he believed that he would better be able to know himself as he searches for a new life. He does many things. Such things are Relief Printmaking, Painting, Silkscreen, Graphic Design, and Photography. He has been an artist for a short time. Only for two years.  

Because he works with various media, the way he describes his artwork is complicated.