Rodel Gonzalez was born into an artist family and show natural skill from a young age. Guided by his father, Rick, and his grandfather, Felix, Gonzalez’s early training instilled in him the diligence that would complement his explorations of color, form, and composition perfectly. After this informal training, he majored in painting at the University of Santo Tomas for two years and later received a degree in interior design from the Philippines School of Interior Design.

Although Gonzalez was talented in the visual arts, he was also drawn to the world of music and at the age of 20 founded his band, Side A, in the Philippines; Side A, in which Gonzalez is the lead singer and a prolific songwriter, is still an active part of the musical community and is known as the longest-lived band in Manila.

It wasn’t until 2002 that Gonzalez returned with a fervent passion to the world of visual arts. He cites the support and inspiration of his brother Rudolf and his cousin Roy Gonzalez Tabora as what guided him to this vision with new-found energy and dedication.