fabio rodriguez

Artist Biography: Fabio Rodriguez

Fabio Rodriguez was born in Richmond, Virginia January 17, 1977.  Born to Dominican parents, Fabio returned to the Dominican Republic in 1979 where he remained until the age of 15.  In 1992, he returned to the United States with his family and settled in Columbia, Missouri.

Fabio was born an artist.  As a young student, he struggled because he constantly sketched in class while teachers lectured.  Art truly enhanced his self-concept, though, as he found a way to communicate and entertain friends.  Although he loved the arts, he grew up with a low opinion of art as a career.  In a Third World country, children are encouraged to be more practical.  This explains his brief stint as a business major.  His passion for art developed in the Dominican Republic.  His father, a doctor, painted in his spare time and exposed his son to the arts.  The artist describes his need to do art as equal to breathing.  It is an essential daily exercise. 

Fabio completed high school in 1994 and started his college career at the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1995.  Drawn to the art program at a smaller local school, he transferred to Columbia College.  Under the instruction of Sidney Larson, a renowned artist who has worked with Thomas Hart Benton and restored works of George Caleb Bingham, Fabio’s artistic talent flourished.  As a student, he received five awards and three scholarships for academics and artistic ability.  His most memorable honor was his status as the first ever recipient of the Sidney Larson Student Award.  Fabio graduated Cum Laude in 2001 with a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts with an emphasis in painting and drawing.

Upon graduation, Fabio returned to the Dominican Republic for a year in order to reestablish himself with his Dominican identity.  He worked as an art teacher and spent time traveling and painting commissions.  In February 2003, Fabio moved to the St. Louis area where he later joined Art Dimensions. 

He has participated in over 30 juried exhibitions, wining several times including the First Place Master’s Award, presented by the Bullivant Gallery. In 2005, he had one of the largest solo exhibits in the St. Louis area, Regression.  Fabio has made appearances on TV shows such as “Entérate,” and “Ahora St Louis,” and has made it on the Front Cover of the Jefferson County Journal, and the Vital Voice.  Fabio recently exhibited in the Taste of St Louis, where he won 1^st place in sculpture. He is currently working as an Art and Spanish teacher in De Soto, Missouri.  Fabio is also following his career as a professional artist exhibiting at a national and international level.