Dex Fernandez

Dex Fernandez is an interdisciplinary graffiti artist whose eccentric designs and neon-colored installations challenge the notions of high and low art. Based in the Philippines, Fernandez is best known for his iconic street art character “Garapata,” which is the Tagalog word for “tick.” Images of the creature’s multi-legged head are plastered in public spaces throughout the Philippines, Indonesia, and Japan. Influenced by the Pop art of Andy Warhol and Keith Haring, Fernandez has translated his street art style into psychedelic portraits made by layering acrylic paint and thread on top of digital photographs. His works have been exhibited in Paris, New York, Tokyo, and at the Singapore Biennale in 2016. Fernandez studied Fine Art and Advertising at the Technological University of the Philippines; he is the recipient of multiple international residencies in Taiwan, Indonesia, Japan, and through the Asian Cultural Council in New York in 2014.