Miami artist turns paint-by-numbers into community art events
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Four Folds partners with community organizations to create art activations. Photo: Andres Gimenez via Four Folds
Local artist Gabriel "GG" Gimenez is working to foster more human connection through an activity most people have already done: Paint by numbers.
- But instead of individuals working on personal designs, matching colors with designated numbers on a piece of paper likely to be tossed, he's designing life-size, permanent art people can work on together.
Why it matters: The paint-by-numbers method is a widely known, "extremely accessible" activity that allows broad participation, regardless of age or ability, Gimenez told Axios.
- And in a world where digital engagement has usurped interpersonal dynamics, Four Folds encourages everyone to be part of something tangible.
- The concept, a "participating painting studio combining art, community and business," is "more in demand now than it was before," he said.
Between the lines: Gimenez first launched the company with a business partner, successfully partnering with brands like Airbnb, Apple and Juan Valdez between 2016-2018.
- But after spending nearly a decade on other ventures and a stint living outside of Miami, Gimenez wanted to relaunch the concept — this time with a community, story-driven approach.
How it works: Organizations share their ideas for a community project and story they're trying to convey.
- Four Folds' illustrators design the artwork using the paint-by-numbers method, accounting for factors like number of participants and the activity's duration.
- During the event, Four Folds' artists and assistants guide participants on how to paint and engage properly with the standard 6-foot x 6-foot canvas.
- Toward the end, public participation stops and Four Folds' artists take over, tidying up fine lines to ensure a professional appearance.
- The canvas is removed, packaged and delivered to the client as a completed work of art.
What they're saying: "We're not just an arts-and-crafts project or company," Gimenez said. "The idea is at the end of the event, the client receives a professional piece of artwork [while also] having received the engagement and participation from the public."
The intrigue: The concept stems from Gimenez's love and appreciation of the late artist Sol Lewitt, who developed instructions and blueprints others could follow.
- He questioned what was art: The instructions or the final piece? But he also challenged who the artist was: The one who conceptualized it, or the one who executed it, Gimenez explained.
- "I was so inspired by his work," he said. "I wanted to find a way to translate that for the everyday person."
The bottom line: Four Folds is an art piece, and like Lewitt, it's a package of instructions everyone can follow.
- "I schemed a company to create art," Gimenez laughed.