BIO
Fernando Alejandro Roman is an Interdisciplinary artist who does documentary photography, drawing, painting, and poetry. Growing up between a home in North Jersey and regular trips to his Nuyorican family in NYC, he took to art as a way of cultivating a sense of place. Coming from a family with artistic sensibilities, he started drawing his surroundings early on, and later exploring fashion design as his primary hobbies and modes of expression. Fernando believes in the healing properties of art, and its power to connect us to one another, highlight the complex richness of life, and be a tool to see ourselves.
CV
Group Exhibitions
2025 Colors of Love, DiRasa House of Diversified Arts, Montclair, NJ
2025 Cultivating Connection & Joy Through Art, Life Center Stage, Parsippany, NJ
2024 Fall 2024 Undergraduate Thesis Exhibition Presented by Micheal Rees, William Paterson University, Wayne, NJ
2024 Street Symphony: An Urban Art Exhibition, Curated by Josephine Barriero, Art150 Gallery, Jersey City, NJ
2024 “Unsettled” - Diaspora Child, Femme Curator Arts in partnership with Newark Arts, Newark, NJ
2024 Healing a Beautiful Broken Mind, Life Center Stage, Parsippany, NJ
2024 Conocimiento Experience: Conference on Student Belonging and Community Resilience and Art Showcase, Dr. Lilian Milanés, William Paterson University, Wayne, NJ
2024 Here/Now: A Juried Exhibition of Student Artwork, University Galleries, William Paterson University, Wayne, NJ
2023 NUIndigo Exhibition, Femme Curator Arts, Newark, NJ
2023 The Life & Culture of Modern Day Latinidad, Juried by José Camacho, Studio Montclair Gallery, Montclair, NJ
2023 The Art of Culture Exhibition, Celebrating Cross-Cultural Perspectives and Hip Hop’s 50th Anniversary, Femme Curator Arts in partnership with Newark Arts Festival, Newark, NJ
2023 Here/Now: A Juried Exhibition of Student Artwork, University Galleries, William Paterson University
2023 Now They See Us student exhibition, University Galleries, William Paterson University
2023 Laurelwood Arboretum Community Art Show: An exhibit of nature-inspired art and photography, Wayne, NJ
2022 Garden State. Contemporary Student Landscape, William Paterson University’s first online show
2022 Here/Now: A Juried Exhibition of Student Artwork, University Galleries, William Paterson University, Wayne, NJ Best in Show Painting prize
Education
2024 BFA, concentration Interdisciplinary Major, and Art History Minor, William Paterson University
Honors and Awards
2021-2024 Dean's List, William Paterson University
2021-2024 Charles F. and Roberta A. Kugelmeyer Annual Scholarship for the Arts Award recipient
2016 Dale Carnegie Speaking Award, How to Win Friends and Influence People, Seminar takeaways, Dale Carnegie for Young Adults, July 21, 2016
Experience
2025 Cuban Biennial Experience & Reflections assembly presenter at Columbia High School, Randolph, NJ
2025 Handling and transporting artworks for Adrian ‘Viajero’ Roman to his new studio using rigs and dollies
2024 Panelist and audio-visual technician for Cuba Si! A Conversation with the Artists From the 15th Havana Art Biennial, East Orange Youth Cultural Complex Center, East Orange, NJ
2024 Assisted in the de-installation of Court Gallery exhibition, packaged artwork, assisted in preparing the gallery walls, patching, painting, and removing vinyl, University Galleries, William Paterson University, Wayne, NJ
2024 Artist assistant and documentarian in Havana, Cuba
2024 Assisted Adrian ‘Viajero’ Roman in completing a mixed-media installation piece for the Smithsonian acceptance Outwin American Portraiture Today
2024 Assisted Adrian ‘Viajero’ Roman closely in completing artworks and packaging artworks in preparation for a solo show, Westchester, NY
2024 Assisted in a community collaborative sculpture project with Life Center Stage, Boonton, NJ
2023 Assisted in "NUYORICO PRESENTE!" exhibition presented by Nuyorico Art Club unwrapping artworks, packing merchandise, and manning the merch table–selling t-shirts, stickers, and books CLLCTV Gallery, NYC
2023 Wes Sherman Studio Assistant, packaging artwork for buyers, removed artwork from stretcher bars, and archived paintings, Hackettstown, NJ
2022 Assisted in the "Picking Up the Pieces" exhibition commemorating the 5th anniversary of Hurricane Maria. Duties consisted of keeping art studio supplies organized, assisting with designing and building a memorial installation and assisting with installing art at CLLCTV Gallery for exhibition, NYC
2022 Internship with installation artist, Adrian 'Viajero' Roman, Brooklyn, NY
2022 Assisted in the building, preparation, and painting of panels for Caras Lindas for the Loisaida Festival, Loisaida Center, NYC
2022 Arts Teacher Professional Development Guide. Directing cars, guiding groups through campus, and leading tours at the Ben Shahn Galleries, William Paterson University, Wayne, NJ
2019 The Photocoop Photography Rental Studio, Internship. Responsible for transporting and setting up photo equipment, preparing studio rooms for events, and assisting clients. Little Falls, NJ