Chantel Bustos
Artist Biography
I'm Chantel Bustos, born and raised in Calgary to Filipino immigrant parents. Growing up in a one-bedroom apartment with five family members, my parents emphasized prioritizing education no matter the cost. My parents kept me active with extracurricular, sacrificing as much as they could to make sure I played in an orchestra. I was enrolled in guitar lessons, and was made to play competitive chess when all I wanted to do was play sports. Although they had me do all these things, art had won me over and fully engulfed me the second I picked up a pencil. I fell in love with charcoal drawing animals, eventually leading to commissions and with the discovery of acrylics and different art styles. I was featured on my junior high's yearbook cover in 2019. Transitioning to surrealism with acrylics in high school, and back to realism I now focus on portraits, sharing my evolving style on Instagram: Artbybustos.
Mama
This was an experimental piece, as it was the first time I used Conté. This portrait of my mother is the beginning of a series called Mama. Aging is inevitable, so as every year passes, I have planned to capture her happiness as the defiance of her smile lines and as her wrinkles grow until I can see myself the same way I see her.
Mama Conté and Charcoal 21 in. x 36.5 in.
Marlboro's Bitch
Marlboro's Bitch done in charcoal is one of the first portrait drawings I have completed and is the story of the sins of capitalism and human consumption. Posing several questions about the extent to which people will go to promote a company that can do more harm than good for a cheque and how addicting consumerism can become, causing long-term effects on not just the consumer but society as a whole.
Marlboro’s Bitch Charcoal 23 in. x 30 in.
Artist Statement
Life inspires the work I do as an artist, whether it comes from personal experiences, relationships, or controversial taboo issues. I love to either portray life as realistically as possible to the viewing audience or interpret what I see through my experiences and interplay that into my art. Either way, truth and story are behind every piece of mine. I have always valued the significance of storytelling through just pictures in the absence of words.