Santiago (Born in 1993) was born and raised in California. He seeks originality and strives to stay original; that’s what compels him. When he was still young, he made a vow that he would become an artist, and to realize this, he entered college to study Art History and Life Drawing, after which he transferred and majored in Storyboard Art and Illustration. He graduated with a Bachelors of Fine Art degree in 1998. His urge to search for originality has never left him. When he’s not in search of captivating visuals and original ideas, the artist enjoys spending time with his daughter and wife from whom he draws his inspiration and strength. He also loves to play golf and tries to work in a game nearly every weekend. Santiago states with enthusiasm that he enjoys competing when challenged, and Golf and art have given him that opportunity.
Golf is a metaphor for his personal philosophy of life as he believes that people get what they put into something and there is no substitute for hard work. To get something good out of an activity, one must invest in it and sacrifice. He wants his art to show this. He explains that originality is what separates great artists from the rest. He got attracted to the works of artists Lucian Freud and Jean-Leon Gerome during his extensive classical training. The two artists, in his opinion, are among the greatest painters in history. He’s much inspired by the works of Michelangelo and the paintings of Leonardo da Vinci.