The exhibit is free to attend; face masks must be worn in the gallery space at all times. To learn more about Giovanni and his work visit his website: fiendsco.com.

Exhibit curated by Sara Phalen and Fernando Ramirez; this exhibit was made possible thanks in part to funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

A special artist opening reception will be held on Saturday, February 12th from 5-9pm.

Artist Statement:

"My name is Giovanni Arellano, better known as Fiendsco.

"My parents moved to West Chicago from Zacatecas, Mexico and raised my brother, sister and I here in West Chicago. My siblings are both very creative and artistic in their own sweet nature as our creativity stems from our Dad. Dad triggered my love for drawing by teaching me how to draw an intricate star when I was about 5 years old. I was mesmerized watching him flick the ballpoint pen. As I grew up alongside my older brother, I watched him draw and developed likings similar to his such as skateboarding, taste in music and style.

"In elementary school, I always had this natural passion for drawing. Art class was awesome, when I was allowed to do what I want. Thankfully I had great teachers like Mrs. Rooney who added fuel to my flame. There would be times where she would gift me special sketchbooks or supplies, and as a young mind it only made me anxious to draw more. I once had artwork stolen from the display case and even sold drawings from my yellow notepad as a 6th grader.
I experienced a short period of not wanting to draw at one point, and then things changed in high school. At the time, I would routinely plug in my headphones and ‘doze away’ into my artwork after lodging myself up in my room. I designed my first few T-shirts in my junior year as “Dozed in Solitude” to reflect that. I inherited the name “Fiends” my senior year and developed most of my main characters during this time. Once in College, I had access to cool software, and it was then when I produced my first in-house order of about 20 T-shirts using my iron. As the urge to create continued, I leveled up to “Fiendsco” growing more and more addicted to my work.

"Skateboarding allowed me to meet great people in my life and to experience unforgettable adventures. I found many other creative outlets to indulge in like spray-painting, screen printing and even tattooing. My lifestyle choices and experiences trigger certain influences in my imagination and like clockwork, I create. Through Art, I express and reflect my reality. Fiendsco is a lucid figment of my subconscious reality. Thankfully, West Chicago is home to very supportive people, as they expressed love for my art from the very beginning.
I aim to continue leveling up as an artist, expand my business and simply be happy."