In the art of Mr. S, we are invited to wander, explore, and most especially, to listen.

Words Mara Fabella
Photos Pat Frades
August 16, 2024

In an interview with Roland Kelts, Haruki Murakami once spoke of a quality distinct to Asian cultures. A patience, or “an attention to sound, to silences.”1 While he talked of modern times, this mindfulness Murakami referred to can be seen throughout history, particularly in art. Traditional Japanese art explores vast landscapes through the most quiet vignettes. There is a sense of tranquility, of walking peacefully through familiar places. Such works of art transport us to new worlds, while reminding us to listen to the stillness that envelops even the unknown.

The art of Mr. S is both a journey outward and inward. In his works is a peace and comfort that tends to belie their surreal nature. Mr. S’s works are narratives of their own; stories centered on one or a group of characters as they travel through mysterious landscapes or wrestle with enigmatic inner turmoil, masked in seemingly playful visuals. His whimsical art is reminiscent of the imagery of Hayao Miyazaki, where the veil between what is real and what is supernatural is thin, if not nonexistent. Yet what is striking about Mr. S’s art is its inherent silence. For however otherworldly his imagery is, he imparts in them a gravity one may only find when immersed in deep contemplation. As if the recesses of the artist’s and our own minds could be just as familiarly strange.

Mr. S, short for Mr. Sasquatch, is the moniker for artist Mark Jeffrey Santos. His prolific journey with the arts began when he studied Multimedia Arts at the Mapua Institute of Technology. He went on to work in graphic design, working on images for corporate t-shirt printing. Santos also further experimented in digital art, film, photography, which he would eventually carry over to his future work. He would also sketch his own characters, one of which was a cactus-like creature that resembled a sasquatch. This would eventually become the sasquatch that would give Mr. S his now popular artist’s name. Art by Mr. S is now some of the most sought after in the industry today.

Mr. S has shown his curious paintings and works in numerous exhibits, both around the country and abroad. He began joining shows in 2015. Artist friends including now-wife, fellow artist Pat Frades, helped connect him to NOVA Gallery, where he held his first solo show, Euphoric Adventures. In We Are Animals (2021) at Vinyl on Vinyl, the artist expressed his love for animals, depicting them as the main figures in his drifting vignettes. Reflections (2022) at Galerie Stephanie highlighted the more introspective aspect of his works, capturing his figures in moments of deep reflection amid their own personal travels. He also released an artist book with the gallery in 2023 titled Wayfinder, featuring the artist’s works, along with sketches and texts written about his practice. Some of his many international outings include the group show Ropes of Sand (2022) at the Korean International Art Fair in Seoul, and the solo show Don’t Worry, I’m Fine (2021) at CC Gallery in Taiwan. In partnership with Thinkspace Projects, Mr. S also held his debut solo show in the US, Uncharted Paths, in 2023. Despite all this, Santos remains humble, never expecting to be at the forefront of such success, but grateful all the same for such opportunities.

Many pop surrealists have such distinct styles, one might imagine they had been cultivating them since their early beginnings as artists. Mr. S never intended for his work and career to follow the trajectory it has. His art has evolved from his own personal experiences. This, Santos says, ultimately makes his art more sincere. His works harbor a myriad of symbols, from sushi, to giant animals, to Japanese masks and lanterns. One may make historical and cultural connections, but for the artist, these are simply mirroring influences in his own life. He cites the way anime and cartoons helped nurture the creator within him. His use of natural backdrops comes from his love of traveling, as he often takes photos of scenery. No matter how dreamlike the artwork, these small touches remind us of how we can find ourselves in even the strangest places.

Everything in Mr. S’s art are reflections of the internal. When describing his works, people often highlight the fantasy aspects. Mr. S, however, points to their calming and serene qualities. In his words, he paints what he wants to feel. Rendered in different styles, his subject matter may appear louder and more outlandish. Yet the artist cloaks his scenes in muted earthy colors, as on a gently overcast day. The elements of his works blend so harmoniously together, one might even have to look carefully to see figments of the strange. Or perhaps such figments, when looked at closely, are not all that strange to us at all. Mr. S’s art gives us space to harken to these nuances and take heed of Murakami’s attention to silence.

This acceptance of the strange and the mundane, one that artist and writer Celia Rabinovitchcalled “a direct apprehension of the world in all its mystery and grotesque beauty,”2 is at the essence of Zen Buddhism. In the principles of Zen, the way one approaches art and life is a kind of meditation. Many traditional Japanese art forms thus tend to emphasize the wonder of the process, like in the golden art of kintsugi or the delicate strokes of landscape painting. The smallest crack or splash of ink symbolizes the next step in the pursuit of the whole. Sometimes an overall sense of simplicity and grandeur can be one and the same. The art of Mr. S captures this essence of Zen and this direct apprehension of the world. Except for the artist, the world around him is framed through the world within him. His acceptance of what is and what can be becomes an acceptance and an acknowledgement of the many things in his life. In turn, the artist chooses peace, imbuing his canvases with the calm he wishes to feel. 

A striking aspect of Santos’s art is the expression of his characters, or rather, the lack of one. He renders his characters with stoic faces as they wander through his landscapes. In some works, his figures wear expressive masks while their wearers have the same unreadable faces. The artist once tried giving them more dynamic expressions, but in the end, chose the neutral look. In his words, there is “something visceral” about such a face. More than being a blank canvas one can project their own feelings onto, these inexpressive faces caught in such expressive scenes underscore the gravity of the journey, whether out into the world or inward through deep introspection. 

Mr. S’s journey as an artist has been just as full of wonders. His most recent career milestone saw him traveling all the way to the STRAAT Museum in Amsterdam where he created his largest work yet, a mural for the Asian Influence exhibition, which would eventually become part of the gallery’s permanent collection. The STRAAT Museum highlights street and graffiti art from artists all around the world. Mr. S is one of the featured artists for the showcase, along with Ryo Laksamana from Indonesia and Alex Face from Thailand. Joining Santos in a group show are fellow Philippine lowbrow artists Cham Cristobal, Humbly, Kim Borja, Blic, and Lee Salvador, along with several other artists from around Asia. The artist admits he was surprised when he first received the invite, noting he does not even label his works street art. For Santos, his works simply spring from a love of the craft. Nonetheless, he was humbled by the opportunity. He says he was happy as well to see the line between what is perceived as fine art and lowbrow art blurring. The landscape of art is changing, and like in his works, Mr. S and his artist peers continue to journey through it. 

Despite how far his work has taken him, Mr. S says there is nothing like the community he has found at home. For the artist, in anything, community is important. More so for artists of the growing lowbrow movement, where community is central to the very nature of the genre itself. As Mr. S finds more success and new paths for his art, other artists come forth, just as curious and unique in style. These artists from the pop surrealist or lowbrow movement continue to break ground with their art and prove that a simple love for creating can lead one to the most exciting adventures.

What do we learn when we pay attention to silence? When life demands us pay attention to every other sound, do we still have room to listen at all? As the art of Mr. S illustrates, the act is not a gradual one. Often, we find ourselves traveling long and uncharted roads to find some semblance of peace, if any at all. But the journey to find silence, peace, and acceptance continues, and along the way, we build our own rich and bountiful worlds.