As well as being an exhibiting artist, working at the Brighton Artist Residence and jetting between Brighton and his ancestral homeland of the Philippines to draw inspiration from his multi-ethnic background, Jeffrey Cervantes manages to fit in studying critical fine art at the University of Brighton.
Check out his website/blog/twitter/facebook for updates on what he’s doing now – Jeffrey has clearly embraced wholeheartedly the cult of DIY celebrity – or head down to the Artists Residence in Regency Square to see (and possibly stay in) his work.
I was able to fit into his busy schedule and grab a quick interview for The Brighton Collective thanks to the modern magic that is e-mail.
Hi Jeffrey. Is there no end to your creative skill? Painting, illustration, video, photography, poetry, sculpture, interior design… you seem to do it all.
To me, all of the mediums are connected in some way. If I take a photograph I feel I could progress it towards a painting, or towards an illustration or even a sculpture depending on which medium will parallel the concept I want to portray. If the concept seems strong enough, I may create poetry triggered from it and possibly use all the mediums to create a video.
Do you have a current preference?
I suppose my current preference is wood engraving. At the end of 2009 and the beginning of 2010 I travelled to the Philippines to explore more about the culture, and there wood carving and wood engraving is a tradition and a craft. I feel that experimenting and exploring wood engraving is my personal way of regaining identity. It’s an art form which I am really curious about, and currently I feel like I’m still discovering it – compared to the highly skilled Filipinos who can sculpt and carve, I’m just exploring. But it’s just such a huge fascination to me. Philippine woodcarving has a very long tradition, some carvings are merely decorative, but many have symbolic meaning.
In my woodcarving I’ve been trying to explore the qualities of wood – the layers, grain and just the effect that mark has on it, so I guess it feels like I’m exploring (in a way) the concept of identity… having layers upon layers and grains within the wood.
Does your Filipino heritage have a great impact upon your art? 
Yes. I was born in the UK, in Aylesbury, but my childhood was a mixture of English and Filipino culture, so I describe my upbringing as ‘halo-halo’ – ‘halo’ means mix in Filipino*. Religion and the importance of ethics really played a huge role in the Filipino household, it wasn’t strict, but it definitely influenced me. Growing up I really questioned my own identity, which my parents really supported me in, and I began my exploration into the history and politics of the Philippines.
Having knowledge of both sides makes me question and investigate social and cultural topics. I feel that’s what drives my current work. For a few years my investigation was more about exploring “belonging”. My recent work was more about exploring the effect globalisation and migration has had on second generation Filipinos born within the UK. I’ve been in constant exploration in the idea of identity – I’m really interested in identity and the formation of it, be it genetic or socially determined.
*[Halo-halo is also a popular Filipino dessert. It’s basically a mixture of sweet preserved beans (red beans, chick peas), coconut meat (macapuno), jackfruit (langka), pounded dried rice (pinipig), sweet yam (ube), cream flan (leche flan), shreds of sweetened plantain (saba), filled with crushed ice, milk (or coconut milk), and topped with ice cream. It’s amazingly colourful, and looks like something out of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Google image it!]
So I hear you’re involved with the Artist Residence, an artist-run urban hotel that offers unique ‘art themed’ rooms in the centre of Brighton. Have you designed a room there?
I currently work at the Artist Residence, which I thoroughly enjoy. In June 2009 I designed the ‘Private Room’ which had my line illustrations on the walls and ceilings. There was a lot of colour, and it was a very loose illustration.
But, after constant visits to my work, I began to realise the importance of space and art, and at the end of 2009 I felt it wasn’t succeeding very well as it was very overpowering so I completely redesigned the room. In February 2010 it was repainted to create a more slick and stylish theme and now it’s entirely monochrome.
I believe combining the visual arts within your stay in Brighton is a necessity as we all know Brighton is full of creativity and inspiration.
By Amy Sandiford-Watts
Check out Jeffrey Cervantes online at: http://jeffreycervantes.com/
Look out for his open air exhibition in collaboration with the Waterfront Gallery (Brighton) this summer and the Artist Residence’s Open Hotel in the Brighton Fringe Festival during May and June.
