Today we’d like to introduce you to Rolando Monterrosa.
Hi Rolando, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Drawing has been part of my life for many years, but over time it became much more than a technical practice. It became a way of processing emotions, questioning what surrounds me, and exploring the human figure from a psychological and emotional perspective.
I am a Salvadoran visual artist based in San Salvador. My practice is rooted in contemporary figurative drawing, with a post-figurative approach to the human body. I begin with the figure, but I am not interested in representing it in a conventional or purely realistic way. Instead, I use the body as a territory for exploring emotional and psychological states—vulnerability, exhaustion, tension, confinement, instinct, resistance, and other experiences that are often difficult to express through words.
Many of my figures appear without visible faces or within dark and ambiguous environments. For me, removing or obscuring the face allows the body itself to become the primary vehicle of expression. Gesture, posture, weight, absence, and tension become more important than individual identity.
My work is centered primarily on contemporary drawing, using materials such as charcoal, graphite, and ink. I am interested in the different qualities each material brings to the image: the density and physicality of charcoal, the precision and subtlety of graphite, and the immediacy and permanence of ink. I also work with erasure, darkness, and empty space as active elements within the composition. Together, these resources allow me to create images that feel raw, unstable, and emotionally direct.
I see drawing not simply as representation, but as a language capable of revealing internal states and psychological landscapes.
My artistic development has taken place alongside my professional career in communications and visual production, which has also shaped the way I understand composition, imagery, and visual storytelling. At the same time, my personal artistic practice has remained a space of freedom, where I can explore questions that are more intimate, uncomfortable, or difficult to define.
Over the years, I have participated in exhibitions and artistic projects in El Salvador, and each experience has helped me better understand my own visual language. Today, I see my work as an ongoing investigation of the human figure and its emotional possibilities—a body capable of carrying memory, tension, vulnerability, and experience, even when no face is visible.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The road has been very positive overall. Like any creative process, there have been challenges, mainly related to balancing time, responsibilities, and the constant need to keep growing as an artist.
I see those challenges as part of the process rather than obstacles. They have helped me become more disciplined, more focused, and more confident in the direction of my work.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m especially proud of having presented a solo exhibition at the Museo de Arte de El Salvador (MARTE). For me, it was an important milestone because MARTE is one of the country’s most important cultural institutions, and exhibiting there gave the work a very meaningful context within the Salvadoran art scene.
More than the exhibition itself, I’m proud of what it represented: years of developing my own visual language, remaining consistent with my ideas, and seeing that work reach a space of such cultural significance.
What sets me apart is the way I approach images. My background in photography and visual communication has shaped the way I think about composition, atmosphere, detail, and emotion. I try to create work that is visually strong, but also personal and honest, without forcing a message or simply following trends.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
I had the opportunity to visit Miami, and what I liked most was how diverse the city feels. There is a strong mix of cultures, languages, and influences, and that gives the city a very particular energy.
From an artistic perspective, I also really appreciated its museums, galleries, and the presence of art throughout the city. It feels like a place where different creative expressions can coexist naturally.
If I had to mention something I liked less, it would probably be how busy the city can feel at times. But overall, my experience was very positive, and I was especially drawn to its cultural diversity and creative atmosphere.
Pricing:
- Pricing varies depending on the piece, format, and project. For inquiries regarding available works or commissions, please contact me directly.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.artworkarchive.com/profile/rolando-monterrosa
- Instagram: @monterrosa.arte
- Facebook: Rolando Monterrosa
