Philadelphia, PA

Gilberto Wilson

https://instagram.com/Giwiblue77

Gilberto Wilson and his family migrated from Aruba in the Netherland Antilles to the United States in 1968.  Industrialization of the island’s prime industry and lack of opportunities brought the family to the U.S. shores. 

Wilson’s love for art was kindled at a very early age.  He was blessed to have opportunities and great teachers.

The late 1960s were a watershed movement in American history. The Vietnam War, the Cold War, the Civil Rights Movement, the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. set the tone of the time. Unrest raged across this country and around the world. These events greatly influenced Wilson who was a young artist at this time.

The artistic expression of Gilberto Wilson is a fusion of cultures, art styles, and mediums.

Through the use of personal iconography, symbols, color, and form, Wilson’s work reminds us of our ancestral past, as well as being an identity badge of the urban jungles we call home.

The use of photographs, maps, streets, and manhole covers are some of the tools used to tell this story.