LifeGrid Magazine March 2018 | Seite 15

The Impossible Can Be Achieved by Wanda Veloz The quote that gives title to this article isnt mine. It is the motto of Luis Andrés Pérez López, who is a young Dominican artist son of Francisca López and Luis Pérez Ripol, born on December 8, 1989. For me, he is an inspiring, talented young man who brings us a moving history and trajectory, with great challenges and achievements, showing us that with determination we can reach beyond our perceived limits. The challenges in his life came early. After some health complications within a few months of birth, Luis Andrés lost his hearing ability, which didn´t become an impediment in his life thanks to the support and dedication of his parents, who encour- aged his growth and development with a lot of focus on art, since from very young he showed great skills for drawing and colors. His first steps in painting began formally in 2003, in the painting school of the great Dominican artist Guillo Pérez, where all his teachers, despite being able to transmit their knowledge to the young artist only through signs and lip reading, always got from him the desired results. His experience as an artist increased when he met his teacher Silvio Reyes, with whom he relates to the maximum and from whom he receives techniques that allowed him to improve and grow as an artist. It is at this time that he begins to become familiar with the works of the great classics of painting, and sets out on the path towards the definition of his style. Later, he becomes a disciple of the great painter Pedro Pablo Méndez, and has also received valuable guidance from another great Dominican painter, Alberto Houell- mont. When observing the work of Luis Andrés one is immediately captivated. It is evident that he possesses an extraordinary human sensibility, which he allows to flow through his works. His appreciation of the combination of colors demonstrates his joy and passion for life. His works are full of humanity, love, imagination and hope. In October 2007 he presents his first solo exhibition "Completing the Senses", which was a resounding success both in the acceptance of his art, and commercially, since all the pieces were sold. It was, in fact, at this exhibition that I met him and was amazed, being one of the buyers of one of a large number of magnificent paint- ings that made up this collection. Later on, he orga- nized a second individual exhibition, "Surrealism and Other Things" and in it, there is a visible inclina- tion towards an art of greater depth and creation. After participating in several group exhibitions, Luis Andrés begins to explore the styles of cartoons and portraits, an art in which he shows an extraordinary sensitivity and attention to detail, and with which he has enjoyed extraordinary acceptance from all audi- ences. In 2014 he got the title of Architect at the Pon- tificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra, an achievement achieved with great effort and courage, establishing a life motto: "The impossible can be achieved". Luis Andrés has received numerous awards, among which is the Prize for Talent and Capacity for Demonstrating that Everything is Possible. He was also the Paintings Winner for the Qatar calendar. He has been interviewed for newspapers, television programs and his work has come to the hands of different well-known Dominicans. At the beginning of Luis Andrés' career, his mother was in charge of selling his oil and acrylic paintings. However, after her death due to cancer in 2010, it became very difficult for him to sell his art by himself since young people his age were the ones surrounding him, and they were not very prone to buying paintings. It was then that he began to draw faces to diversify his art, and that is how he took his drawings to the university to show them to his colleagues, who were delighted and began to request portraits from him. It was at that moment that a colleague asked him, "How much do you charge for making a portrait?", and the idea of starting his own business was born in Luis Andrés. That is when he decided to upload photos of his paintings, cartoons and portraits on social media to make them known to everyone, and people began to contact him. A few years later, he designed a new logo: D'Perez-Art. The only thing left for me to do is urge you to follow this great Dominican talent on social media, and discover for yourselves the versatility, art, attention to detail, joy and dynamism that is evident in each of his pieces. While you’re at it, make sure to take advantage of the occasion to acquire some of his pieces, or even order a caricature for yourself or to make a beautiful and very original gift. Instagram: d_perez_art