RT Contemporary Artist
interview by Jorge Perezchica
Reena Tolentino aka “RT” is known for her stencil art mixed with Rorschach Inkblot technique. One of the few female artists in the street art scene, RT has risen to fame with her unique interpretations of legends from past to present.
Born and raised in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California by her single mother, Reena learned at a very young age the value of hard work, persistence and that having a personal vision could help one rise above the challenges faced in the real world. RT’s inclination into the entertainment industry went hand in hand with acting, music and art.
Growing up within the public school system in Los Angeles, Tolentino understood the value of art programs which shaped her imagination. RT enrolled in classes at LACMA – Los Angeles Contemporary Museum of Art where she studied the greats.
In 2016, RT launched a first art solo exhibition, “Hollywood Icons” which paid homage to her hometown and rendered canvas paintings with a post-pop-art aesthetic. Since then, RT has been producing new works and pivoting thematically from project to project and even exploring the NFT (non-fungible token) digital realm.
I first came across RT’s artwork at Drop It, a local sneaker and streetwear shop located on El Paseo, Palm Desert, where a few of her paintings adorn the white walls and resonate street culture when patrons walk into the store. Over the summer, Coachella Magazine reached out to RT to learn more about the artist.
As an artist, what was it like growing up with a single parent?
Looking back and seeing that my mom was responsible for both discipline and nurture or running the house and working, being on her own with family thousands of miles away — gave me a lot of fortitude. Los Angeles is a very expensive community, so my mom had to work a lot and she worked and studied so hard. I remember going with her when she would go to college because some of her credits didn’t transfer over to the United States from the Philippines. My mom was relentless, she pushed me to the maximum threshold. I remember for so many years, my schedules being completely booked from piano to swim class to PACE program and John Hopkins program. I had no time to think about drugs, sex, boys or mischief. I was constantly working or training or practicing. Which at the time was extremely frustrating and felt controlled but looking back, I have used so many of the patterns and tools that were pressed into me through her efforts and constant attention and pushing me past my limits.
I see influences of Hollywood, basketball and music throughout your art. How has the city of Los Angles inspired you as an artist?
As a youth actor, I was playing pop culture and coming from LA it was in every street corner. Sports and entertainment were always present and uploaded so naturally it is an intrinsic part of my narrative.
Did you always want to be an artist?
Short answer is yes. However, earlier on it was performing arts. I earned several acting credits, released a few singles, produced an online series and before that during my youth it was piano. The past half decade has reinvigorated my passion for painting on canvas. Creativity is deeply rooted in my family. My earliest memories of drawing were sitting on my Grandapa’s architecture table doodling on draft paper. In a sense, I’ve come full circle and now create drawings of my own.
What was the most important lessons you learned between school and the real world?
The biggest lesson is that, I am never done learning lessons. If someone were to be reading this and want to know a practical application, I would say, “learning patience, building skills and being consistent.” School and real life always flow better with those skills at hand.
How would you describe your artwork aesthetic?
My art tells their Individual journeys, struggles and successes through a multi- layered contextualization of abstract energy, negative space, vibrant color and a monochromatic/ Rorschach ink style portrait as each works foundation.
In 2016 you presented your first solo art show at Stone Malone Gallery “Hollywood Icons: Gone But Never Forgotten.” What was the first experience like for you?
That series was The Iconic Entertainers of the past who have a resounding and present impact on contemporary pop culture today. And depictions of my own personal references throughout the works. And I learned that art, is actually the art of business. Marketing the language, resonating with the mass market and most importantly strategically developing your collector base. The art in the canvas is spontaneous and radical in its conceptualization, but the art of the show is strategic, deliberate and calculated and the challenge is keeping the balance.
In 2018 you followed up with another solo art show “NBA ALL STARS” during All-Star weekend in Downtown, LA. A few of these works made their way to Coachella Valley’s streetwear shop Drop It on El Paseo. How did this series come together?
After my Hollywood icon series and putting focus on Legends of old who are no longer with us, I went the opposite direction and painted Living Legends. Choosing MVP status NBA All Stars, as my subjects.
In 2020, you started painting a portrait of Kobe Bryant a week before his death. Tell us about this piece and limited edition print.
It was coincidental timing AND VERY sad having completed it a week before. After completing the piece, I wanted to contribute to the world’s remembrance of him and my manager secured two locations for me, so I could paint huge scale reproductions as mural art — One on Sunset Blvd and Laurel Canyon. It also gave me the courage to start my limited print market because I knew so many people wanted something to remember him by and before I was always nervous whether there was enough interest in my works for me to start my limited prints market.
Your latest, “Astronaut Series” focuses on a whole new theme. What was your inspiration?
I had the opportunity to speak at the international Astronautical Congress in 2018 in Bremen Germany, where I talked about artists in space. I contributed in the “A” in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, ART, Math). Those are the academic profiles and Astronautical Industry and I found a particular interest in Quantum Entanglement and have been painting on this narrative for a couple years now.
It’s about the celestial bodies or objects in space like in life business, family, love, the connections and the proximity between them, no matter how far apart they are in space, their states remain intertwined. That means they share a common, unified quantum state. Like everyone, I have a sense of belonging and I’m painting about the connections and the Hero’s Journey.
What’s next for RT?
Consistency, Collectors and Commodity – that’s whats next for RT. My plan is to keep painting and traveling globally, to share my narratives, maintaining strong relationships with my collectors while building new ones and increasing the value of my canvas art.
Anything else you would like to add?
Check out my website, limited edition prints, and merchandise. Follow me on instagram. I do “Reading with Reena” on my Instagram live and I talk about art, and setbacks, share story, mispronounce words and tell bad jokes.
Social: @reenatolentino
Web: reenatolentino.com
Links: OGalleryLA.com