RAUL CASILLAS ROMO
BIOGRAPHY
Raul Casillas was born on August 10, 1970 in Los Angeles, California making him the 7th child of his parents 9 children. Astrologically, he was born as a "Leo, Dog, Yellow Rhythmic Seed" (his Western, Chinese & Mayan signs). In the 1960s his parents immigrated to California to give birth to the first seven of their nine children. Living in LA in the 60s and 70s had a major impact on the whole family, especially the young minds of Raul and his 6 older siblings. By 1979, when he moved with his family back to Guadalajara, Mexico, Raul had been exposed to the hippie movement, skateboarding, world music and urban art and culture.
It was in Guadalajara Mexico that Raul first discovered his passion for the Arts. He was inspired by his older brothers that were taking art classes at school. Several older siblings became doctors which encouraged Raul to take his undergraduate studies in Physiotherapy, where he worked with handicap and paraplegic patients. He was very athletic and practiced many sports, from soccer & tackle football to gymnastics & Olympic wrestling and eventually practiced breakdancing and capoeira.
In 1989 Raul left his family behind to return to LA . He worked for a year as a food sculptor and in the hospitality industry, then spontaneously joined the crew of the Research Vessel "Heraclitus" in the Caribbean to study marine systems, navigation and marine biology. On the Heraclitus, a 100 ft. Chinese junk sailboat funded by the Institute of Eco-Technics, he studied and later worked as "Second Mate" while traveling extensively throughout the Caribbean, circulating it twice from Miami, Bahamas, Jamaica & Belize to Venezuela. The crew did research and coral reef surveys for the Planetary Coral Reef Foundation. While in the Mexican Mayan coastline, the crew would scuba dive and collect the "marine biome" for the "Biosphere 2" Project ( Tuscon, Arizona,USA). They then drove it to Arizona for the creation of a microcosmic artificial ocean, complete with coral reefs and one million gallons of enclosed ocean water. Raul was the only bilingual person that traveled in the trailors caravan up Mexico and into
the "Bio 2" in the US. (www.rvheraclitus.org)
the "Bio 2" in the US. (www.rvheraclitus.org)
The crew also performed Theater plays in the Caribbean exploring a wide range of skills, from the fabrication of their costumes to the stage design that included performing onboard the ship . Raul played the role "Moses" in Bertolt Brecht's Avant-garde play "The rise and fall of the city of Mahagonny". They also performed their own original work inspired by their journey in the Sea, featuring the real sounds of Humpback Whales recorded on board.
They would also take turns with duties like cooking, while Improvising smaller acted skits that were created on a nightly basis during the preparation of dinner and performed by the cooks on board the sailboat, with the objective to convey "A point" with a vocal message finale to end the story.
They would also take turns with duties like cooking, while Improvising smaller acted skits that were created on a nightly basis during the preparation of dinner and performed by the cooks on board the sailboat, with the objective to convey "A point" with a vocal message finale to end the story.
On the Boat he was introduced to a Global “Synergy” Network, he then traveled to London, England in 1992 to sprout his passion for the Arts, where he worked at the “Lundonia House” Cultural Center that hosts the “October Gallery”. Raul was the House Manager of the Artist Run, Non Profit Organization that represents Contemporary Artist from all Cultures World Wide, from the late William S. Burroughs & Brion Gysin to Ralph Steadman, Ira Cohen, Ablade Glover, Kenji Yoshida & Charles Beauchamp.
Raul returned to the Theater Stage, but now with the U.K.'s Lundonia House Collective, where he played a double roll in "The Balcony" by Parisian Avante-garde playwright Jean Genet. Raul not only doubled as "The Revolutionary Activist" and his characters enemy "The Chief of Police" in a world at war, escaping to the brothel to create their fantasies; but he also was the Produccion Designer & Decorated the play's
Sets as well as created his own costumes for a series of performances in the heart of London, England. That year in London allowed Raul to travel through Europe and absorb a lot of the Great Collections in Museums & Galleries, which triggered Raul to begin experimenting with paints.
Upon his return to Guadalajara, Mexico in 1993, Raul pursued painting, experimenting without formal Academic training, as well as going to music school to learn to play the alto Saxophone.
By 1994 Raul had returned to L.A. where he worked at the “Wenger Gallery” in Santa Monica, California; representing artist like Herb Albert ( The trumpet player & painter from A&M Records), Arman, Gunther Gerzo & Jan Vanriet. Expanding further his understanding of the Art World.
He also worked at the late Aaron’s Records in Hollywood ( One of America’s largest Independent Music Stores), were he expanded and refined his knowledge of music of all genres. Raul has also fabricated musical instruments and is a Percussionist, he plays various hand drums and is currently learning to play the Drum Kit. “Just Jammin' with the hommies”.
At the age of 25 Raul had moved North to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, after falling in love
were he remained married for 6 years to Jane S. He traveled with her through Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Greece & France. Upon his arrival into Canada, Raul went "treeplanting" for a spring & summer, planting as far north as Alaska ( camping among wild bears and melting Glaciers , dramatic landscapes of beauty & forest clearcuts), satisfaying his love for giving back to Mother Earth in Nurturing ways, this time motivated by his friends Mike E. and Trent & Denise.
He also worked on Bowen Island, assisting the late Nisga clan Master native carver Isaac Tait in the creation of traditional Canadian West Coast Native Masks carved in wood, painted and inlayed. “I have great memories of working with Isaac (Rest in Peace),in a beautifull home / Studio overlooking the Ocean & B.C. landscape, perfecting ancient simetrical designs; we created an Inauguration Ceremony for each Mask, giving it life and welcoming it to this planet .”
Then Raul discovered the early boom in the Vancouver Film Industry (Hollywood North), he started working on Music Videos with Producer friend Johny Pantages, in an Industry where he has worked for the last 13 years (since ’96), mainly in the Unions (first ACFC then IATSE, local 891), as a Lead Set Dresser in the Set Decorating Department, with Decorators such as Dominique Fauquet-Lemaitre, and as a Sculptor & Fine Art Painter for Film.
All of his previous skills came together to allow Raul to blossom in the Film Industry. His involvement in Film has been Key in refining his artistic skill and maintaining a high output, not to mention his organization skills and Crew Leadership skills under the pressure of major deadlines for Major Productions from Steven Spielberg & Sam Mendes’s “Dreamworks”, Miramax, 20 th. Century Fox, Sony, Walt Disney, Warner Brothers, Paramount, NBC, Universal Pictures, Showtime & Lions Gate Films to Jim Henson Companie’s “Muppet Movie”.
Raul has worked on T.V. & Films Featuring Major Actors like Benicio del Toro & Halle Berry in “Things we lost in the Fire”, and David Duchovny & Gillian Andereson in the second “X-Files- I want to believe” Feature Film, Sir Ian Mckellen, Aaron Eckart and Nick Nolte in “Neverwas”, Hilary Swank & Delroy Lindo in “The Core”, Donald Sutherland in “Fierce People”, Heather Graham in “Say it isn’t So”, Al Pacino in “88 Minutes”, Elias Koteas in mini- series “Traffiic”, The Wayans Brothers in “White Chicks”, Eduard James Olmos in T.V. Series “Battlestar Galactica”, T.V. Series “Eureka” & “Cold squad", Tom Green, Nia Vardalos and More…
See “FILMOGRAPHY” for complete details.
As an Artist Raul has been influenced by all the Cultures that he has traveled to and beyond. “I consider my Travels through this Planet as some of my most valuable “Education”- Real Life Experience, getting a deeper taste of other cultural values and adopting some to one self. From Egypt, Israel, Jordan to Bali in Indonesia, Europe and Latin America, through more than 20 Countries, Raul has allowed this Planet to affect him so that he can affect it back.
He has particularly been most influenced and inspired by the Surrealist Movement with artist such as Salvador Dali, Rene Magritte and others like Hieronymus Bosch, Ernst Haeckel, Diego Velasquez, Manet, Frida Kahlo & Diego Rivera, Jose Clemente Orozco, David Alfaro Siqueiros, as well as “The Symbolist” : Auguste Rodin, Alphonse Mucha, Gustav Klimt, William Blake & Jean Delville.
Most recently he has been attracted and inspired by the current “Visionary Art Movement” aka “Interdimensional” and “Fantastic Realism”, introduced to him by fellow artist Luke Brown. They have done some group shows together and co-created a Music Video with many other awesome artist such as Carey Thompson and Arrow One in Bali, Indonesia. “The Ben Ben Stone” Adventure Video was a Blast of a great unprecedented tribal Hip-Hop Time !
Raul’s first official Group Show with the Movement was at “InVision 3.0” Full Moon Festival in Roberts Creek, just outside his home of Vancouver, B.C. Many great memories come from co-creating and celebrating Life with other artist such as Cody Chancellor & Jen, and all the awesome Dj’s & Family of the Sunshine Coast.
Raul is also inspired by Vancouver’s “Artist Against War Coalition”. Art of Resistenz; and he played percussion's for 2 years with the city's "Carnival Band" at many anti-war /peace rallies & community events, performing in many styles from around the world.
A trip to California was due to his participation with the Visionary Art & Culture Event “SYNERGENESIS” in San Francisco, California, ( November 2004).
An event that crystallized his initial connection with artist such as Robert Venosa, Martina Hoffmann, Carey Thompson, J. Garcia, Mark Henson & Roman Villagrana.
Raul has developed a passion to live in a fusion of Spirituality, Natural Conscience and Arts & Culture, with the wild imagination of the Fantastic Realist Visionary and the Shamanic mind, Meditating between Plants, Animals & Humans in this Cosmos of interconnected energy fields. He has explored a wide range of topics such as Enlightenment, Poverty & Homelessness; War, Communication, Dance & the Human ecological footprint on Earth, Global Warming, Third World & Ancient Cultures and Shammanism & Spirituality.
Raul’s first Canadian Gallery representation emerged from a Group Exhibition in Toronto at Meta Gallery in a show titled “Mapmakers- Visions in Contemporary Art” September & October 2008 . Showing with 15 artist such as Kris Kuksi, Luke Brown, Alex Grey, Robert Venosa, Mars 1, Oliver Vernon,etc… Check the Galleries web site: www.metagallery.com. In this Exhibition Raul first revealed his highest potential and most intricate Master Piece yet, Titled “Entanglement on the verge of extinction”. ( 2003 - 2007 ).It’s about how everything is Interconnected to each other, and how one thing affects the other; from the falling towers of 911 in New York, the Indonesian Tsunami Wave, Crop Circles, Break dancers and Zapatistas among the dry "playa" desert of the "Burning Man Festival" by the Oil Fields and all of the species of animals on the verge of extinction, only this time mainly due to Human Impact, of which Raul painted 29 different species; and how our Mother Earth “Gaia” always seems to take care of most of us, despite the Wars & Bombs that we’ve created, among the dry “playa” desert of the Burning Man Festival, as we witness our human fetish for Burning our Planet away in unsustainable ways. A strong autobiographical & historical piece that attempts to represent a large part of his North American Generation.
2009 was a great year for Raul because he was able to attend & exhibit in many places in the USA.
From May until the end of June of 2009 Raul attended the first Interdimensional Art Show Tour, curated by Jenifer Ingram, which traveled from San Francisco to Seattle and ending up in Eugene, Oregon for a Month long show at Fenario Gallery.
Later that summer Raul went on a road trip from Vancouver, Canada to California with fellow artist he loves Autumn Skye Morrison to exhibit at Symbiosis Gathering and Earthdance, two of the most awesome music & art festivals Raul has ever been.
Then in December '09 Raul was present in Florida, for the "Moksha Art Fair" that was during the week of Art Basel Miami, an Annual International gathering of more than 250 Art Galleries.
In this winter Raul also worked on a large portion on the feature film "The A-Team" featuring actor Liam Neeson, the Director of Photography for this feature was Mauro Fiore who won an Oscar for the blockbuster feature film "Avatar". It's an honor for me to work among such accomplished artist.
From January to March 2010 Raul participated in his first Gallery Group Show in his native birthplace of Los Angeles, California, at the "Temple of Visions" Gallery & Sacred space. www.templeofvisions.com, a show that included many awesome artist and a place where friendship continued among artist like Autumn Skye Morrison, Xavi, Orion, Amanda Sage, David Heskin, Aloria Weaver, Michael Divine, Adam Scott Miller & Andrew Jones.
Raul is currently painting in the Fantastic Realist Style with a Visionary Vibe in a Sensual Aqua Blessed Relationship with the Ancient Cosmos and the Now! Get a preview of the next paintings work in progress under "PAINTINGS".
Raul returned to the Theater Stage, but now with the U.K.'s Lundonia House Collective, where he played a double roll in "The Balcony" by Parisian Avante-garde playwright Jean Genet. Raul not only doubled as "The Revolutionary Activist" and his characters enemy "The Chief of Police" in a world at war, escaping to the brothel to create their fantasies; but he also was the Produccion Designer & Decorated the play's
Sets as well as created his own costumes for a series of performances in the heart of London, England. That year in London allowed Raul to travel through Europe and absorb a lot of the Great Collections in Museums & Galleries, which triggered Raul to begin experimenting with paints.
Upon his return to Guadalajara, Mexico in 1993, Raul pursued painting, experimenting without formal Academic training, as well as going to music school to learn to play the alto Saxophone.
By 1994 Raul had returned to L.A. where he worked at the “Wenger Gallery” in Santa Monica, California; representing artist like Herb Albert ( The trumpet player & painter from A&M Records), Arman, Gunther Gerzo & Jan Vanriet. Expanding further his understanding of the Art World.
He also worked at the late Aaron’s Records in Hollywood ( One of America’s largest Independent Music Stores), were he expanded and refined his knowledge of music of all genres. Raul has also fabricated musical instruments and is a Percussionist, he plays various hand drums and is currently learning to play the Drum Kit. “Just Jammin' with the hommies”.
At the age of 25 Raul had moved North to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, after falling in love
were he remained married for 6 years to Jane S. He traveled with her through Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Greece & France. Upon his arrival into Canada, Raul went "treeplanting" for a spring & summer, planting as far north as Alaska ( camping among wild bears and melting Glaciers , dramatic landscapes of beauty & forest clearcuts), satisfaying his love for giving back to Mother Earth in Nurturing ways, this time motivated by his friends Mike E. and Trent & Denise.
He also worked on Bowen Island, assisting the late Nisga clan Master native carver Isaac Tait in the creation of traditional Canadian West Coast Native Masks carved in wood, painted and inlayed. “I have great memories of working with Isaac (Rest in Peace),in a beautifull home / Studio overlooking the Ocean & B.C. landscape, perfecting ancient simetrical designs; we created an Inauguration Ceremony for each Mask, giving it life and welcoming it to this planet .”
Then Raul discovered the early boom in the Vancouver Film Industry (Hollywood North), he started working on Music Videos with Producer friend Johny Pantages, in an Industry where he has worked for the last 13 years (since ’96), mainly in the Unions (first ACFC then IATSE, local 891), as a Lead Set Dresser in the Set Decorating Department, with Decorators such as Dominique Fauquet-Lemaitre, and as a Sculptor & Fine Art Painter for Film.
All of his previous skills came together to allow Raul to blossom in the Film Industry. His involvement in Film has been Key in refining his artistic skill and maintaining a high output, not to mention his organization skills and Crew Leadership skills under the pressure of major deadlines for Major Productions from Steven Spielberg & Sam Mendes’s “Dreamworks”, Miramax, 20 th. Century Fox, Sony, Walt Disney, Warner Brothers, Paramount, NBC, Universal Pictures, Showtime & Lions Gate Films to Jim Henson Companie’s “Muppet Movie”.
Raul has worked on T.V. & Films Featuring Major Actors like Benicio del Toro & Halle Berry in “Things we lost in the Fire”, and David Duchovny & Gillian Andereson in the second “X-Files- I want to believe” Feature Film, Sir Ian Mckellen, Aaron Eckart and Nick Nolte in “Neverwas”, Hilary Swank & Delroy Lindo in “The Core”, Donald Sutherland in “Fierce People”, Heather Graham in “Say it isn’t So”, Al Pacino in “88 Minutes”, Elias Koteas in mini- series “Traffiic”, The Wayans Brothers in “White Chicks”, Eduard James Olmos in T.V. Series “Battlestar Galactica”, T.V. Series “Eureka” & “Cold squad", Tom Green, Nia Vardalos and More…
See “FILMOGRAPHY” for complete details.
As an Artist Raul has been influenced by all the Cultures that he has traveled to and beyond. “I consider my Travels through this Planet as some of my most valuable “Education”- Real Life Experience, getting a deeper taste of other cultural values and adopting some to one self. From Egypt, Israel, Jordan to Bali in Indonesia, Europe and Latin America, through more than 20 Countries, Raul has allowed this Planet to affect him so that he can affect it back.
He has particularly been most influenced and inspired by the Surrealist Movement with artist such as Salvador Dali, Rene Magritte and others like Hieronymus Bosch, Ernst Haeckel, Diego Velasquez, Manet, Frida Kahlo & Diego Rivera, Jose Clemente Orozco, David Alfaro Siqueiros, as well as “The Symbolist” : Auguste Rodin, Alphonse Mucha, Gustav Klimt, William Blake & Jean Delville.
Most recently he has been attracted and inspired by the current “Visionary Art Movement” aka “Interdimensional” and “Fantastic Realism”, introduced to him by fellow artist Luke Brown. They have done some group shows together and co-created a Music Video with many other awesome artist such as Carey Thompson and Arrow One in Bali, Indonesia. “The Ben Ben Stone” Adventure Video was a Blast of a great unprecedented tribal Hip-Hop Time !
Raul’s first official Group Show with the Movement was at “InVision 3.0” Full Moon Festival in Roberts Creek, just outside his home of Vancouver, B.C. Many great memories come from co-creating and celebrating Life with other artist such as Cody Chancellor & Jen, and all the awesome Dj’s & Family of the Sunshine Coast.
Raul is also inspired by Vancouver’s “Artist Against War Coalition”. Art of Resistenz; and he played percussion's for 2 years with the city's "Carnival Band" at many anti-war /peace rallies & community events, performing in many styles from around the world.
A trip to California was due to his participation with the Visionary Art & Culture Event “SYNERGENESIS” in San Francisco, California, ( November 2004).
An event that crystallized his initial connection with artist such as Robert Venosa, Martina Hoffmann, Carey Thompson, J. Garcia, Mark Henson & Roman Villagrana.
Raul has developed a passion to live in a fusion of Spirituality, Natural Conscience and Arts & Culture, with the wild imagination of the Fantastic Realist Visionary and the Shamanic mind, Meditating between Plants, Animals & Humans in this Cosmos of interconnected energy fields. He has explored a wide range of topics such as Enlightenment, Poverty & Homelessness; War, Communication, Dance & the Human ecological footprint on Earth, Global Warming, Third World & Ancient Cultures and Shammanism & Spirituality.
Raul’s first Canadian Gallery representation emerged from a Group Exhibition in Toronto at Meta Gallery in a show titled “Mapmakers- Visions in Contemporary Art” September & October 2008 . Showing with 15 artist such as Kris Kuksi, Luke Brown, Alex Grey, Robert Venosa, Mars 1, Oliver Vernon,etc… Check the Galleries web site: www.metagallery.com. In this Exhibition Raul first revealed his highest potential and most intricate Master Piece yet, Titled “Entanglement on the verge of extinction”. ( 2003 - 2007 ).It’s about how everything is Interconnected to each other, and how one thing affects the other; from the falling towers of 911 in New York, the Indonesian Tsunami Wave, Crop Circles, Break dancers and Zapatistas among the dry "playa" desert of the "Burning Man Festival" by the Oil Fields and all of the species of animals on the verge of extinction, only this time mainly due to Human Impact, of which Raul painted 29 different species; and how our Mother Earth “Gaia” always seems to take care of most of us, despite the Wars & Bombs that we’ve created, among the dry “playa” desert of the Burning Man Festival, as we witness our human fetish for Burning our Planet away in unsustainable ways. A strong autobiographical & historical piece that attempts to represent a large part of his North American Generation.
2009 was a great year for Raul because he was able to attend & exhibit in many places in the USA.
From May until the end of June of 2009 Raul attended the first Interdimensional Art Show Tour, curated by Jenifer Ingram, which traveled from San Francisco to Seattle and ending up in Eugene, Oregon for a Month long show at Fenario Gallery.
Later that summer Raul went on a road trip from Vancouver, Canada to California with fellow artist he loves Autumn Skye Morrison to exhibit at Symbiosis Gathering and Earthdance, two of the most awesome music & art festivals Raul has ever been.
Then in December '09 Raul was present in Florida, for the "Moksha Art Fair" that was during the week of Art Basel Miami, an Annual International gathering of more than 250 Art Galleries.
In this winter Raul also worked on a large portion on the feature film "The A-Team" featuring actor Liam Neeson, the Director of Photography for this feature was Mauro Fiore who won an Oscar for the blockbuster feature film "Avatar". It's an honor for me to work among such accomplished artist.
From January to March 2010 Raul participated in his first Gallery Group Show in his native birthplace of Los Angeles, California, at the "Temple of Visions" Gallery & Sacred space. www.templeofvisions.com, a show that included many awesome artist and a place where friendship continued among artist like Autumn Skye Morrison, Xavi, Orion, Amanda Sage, David Heskin, Aloria Weaver, Michael Divine, Adam Scott Miller & Andrew Jones.
Raul is currently painting in the Fantastic Realist Style with a Visionary Vibe in a Sensual Aqua Blessed Relationship with the Ancient Cosmos and the Now! Get a preview of the next paintings work in progress under "PAINTINGS".
