Guillermo S. Gómez Vélez is a Puerto Rican painter, graphic designer, and screen printer currently running his up-and-coming brand, Guillarte.
Guillermo was born in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, but he resides within the island’s metropolitan area in Toa Baja, where he was raised. Besides running his work, he learns about the craft of traditional screenprinting and machine embroidery from his mentor, G3, assisting them with production in Bayamón.
Gómez’s academic career in the arts began in 2014 when he entered La Escuela de Artes Plásticas y Diseño de Puerto Rico, which he attended for six years. At first, he began in what is the Painting Department, where he would be taught by several vital Puerto Rican artists working as professors, including Richard Santiago, one of the most important to him as he gave him the drive needed to enter the department. After joining the department, another professor would do the opposite, pulling him down from the clouds and telling Gómez he should consider a more “economically viable” career like graphic design. While it is something he had already thought of minoring in. Guillermo took this as advice as one to follow and switched his majors, entering the Graphic Design Department. After switching majors, Guillermo continued his curiosity into the traditional forms of the graphic arts and printmaking as he was constantly visiting their workshop spaces and just generally curious about the craft, which is more laborious but is of immense value and appreciation in the artistic community. He would leave college in 2020 after owing more money than it would take to study for the semester. While he does have plans to return and finish his academic career, there are no immediate ones yet.
In 2021, Gomez decides to work on making his shirts, which he had considered a couple of years before; this is when he speaks with G3 in hopes of assisting them and learning more about the process because although he had his college experience, the real world is something else. He recalls being very naïve to the situation because he had no clue who G3 was or their story. In a stroke of pure coincidence, G3 was at the time considering hiring an employee that could assist with their store located in Bayamón. Still, they were hesitant to employ Guillermo, giving him a one-week trial, and after over a year, they continue to work together. Thanks to this mentorship, he has learned the skills necessary to produce his work and manage his brand’s website, orders, and social media.
Besides helping G3, Guillermo currently runs Guillarte, his brand created by combining his name Guillermo with the Spanish word for art, arte. Although not even part of the creation process and done by accident or coincidence, the name also references the Spanish slang words guillao’, guillado, and guíllate, terms that refer to what is cool and crazy in a good way. Through Guillarte and its paperclip-inspired logo, Gomez uses his skills as a painter and experience in graphic design and printmaking to make a wide variety of products that include wearables like hats and shirts that feature his paintings and digital designs, often inspired by his student work, that are usually showcased at the G3 store in Bayamón as well as local market events.
Photos provided by Guillermo S. Gómez Vélez
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