Before becoming an artist, Pedro Troncoso began his career in the aviation industry. He grew up in La Romana, Dominican Republic, where he practiced his artistic pursuits in his spare time. He thought it was a hobby, and he shared that he eventually built a portfolio, which meant he could apply to art schools for scholarships. "I was accepted! At that moment, perhaps unconsciously, I created the necessity of putting aviation aside until I decided to quit. ”
Of course, taking risks isn't always an easy task, especially if you're worried that you're the only one in your family pursuing an artistic career. However, Pedro's parents were 100 percent supportive of him, "even though art as a profession is not taken seriously". Following his passion at Altos de Chavón La Escuela de Diseño, Pedro graduated in 2018 and transferred to Parsons School of Design in New York in 2020 to pursue an undergraduate degree. Graduating online due to the pandemic, "But we succeeded!" It wasn't long before—almost immediately—Pedro applied for a scholarship to the New York School of Fine Arts for a Master of Fine Arts scholarship." And here I am, graduating this year, and continue to fly higher than any plane there," he continued. "For me, because of art rather than aviation, the first trip abroad is incredibly ironic. These shifts represent how the decisions you make are more valuable than people expect from you. ”
Today, Pedro creates creative works of art. With a wild imagination, he shifted directly to the canvas, giving slightly chaotic but completely captivating depictions of exaggerated figures and unexpected scenes. It's a modern self-portrait, with Pedro painting paint on pages to understand society, stereotypes, self-image, and identity. "I mainly use my imagination to abandon cognition and welcome intuition," he explains. "I think it's the mental space of my inner child; it's the only real toy I've had as an adult."
Applying this to his work, La Boda is a case in point how he combines spontaneity with clear concepts. The work is currently on display at Tchotchke Gallery as part of a group exhibition called That's Showbiz, Baby, where the artist delvies into society's construction of marriage. The result was his own grand view, one that celebrated the idea but was equally critical of the symbolism of the Western theory of knotted knots. "My favorite part is that the audience can connect the dots, unravel the meaning and find stories outside of marriage."
Pedro Tronkoso