Roski artist thrives in collaboration

As some of us picked up new hobbies to occupy ourselves during quarantine — with loaves of bread burnt, mountains of crochet tangled — Remi Frolichman-Gonzales decided to launch a handcrafted fashion brand as a pastime. Such an ambitious endeavor was but a natural conclusion of her curiosity, an artistic foray into a new medium which sustains her never-ending creativity.

A third-year student majoring in fine art at the Roski School of Art and Design, FroGo (a delightful portmanteau of her two last names) has pursued the arts since the moment she could twirl a pencil. As far as she can remember, there has never been a day that FroGo hasn’t chased her avidity head on. Her devotion to fine art started as a small hobby but quickly flourished as she fell in love with it.

“When I was really young, I just started with drawing,” FroGo said. “But then I asked to go to art classes … What I started with, mainly when I was maybe seven or so, was oil paint.” 

FroGo, born and raised in Orange County, attended the Orange County School of the Arts and later advocated for her arts education to continue at a higher level by coming to Roski. Thankfully, she again found the full support of her family.

“I was definitely very fortunate in what my parents supported,” FroGo said. “I went to an arts high school from 7th grade through 12th grade … and my parents have been very on-board with it. I know there are definitely other aspects of my family and extended family that wouldn’t be the same way.”

That support encouraged FroGo to experiment with an array of art forms over the years. She honed her oil painting, worked with acrylic, produced photography, made prints and used graphic design in her work. A self portrait she completed in December 2018 even placed first in the Congressional Art Competition, after which the painting was displayed in the United States Capitol.

FroGo’s art is unabashedly bold, with vibrant colors and strong details. The diversity of her formats is reflected in their varying styles, from photorealism in her older work to abstract design in her recent pieces.

“I think my [artistic] range comes from my range of influences, because I do have references that are very realistic and very traditional, and references that are much more modern, like graphic design,” FroGo said.

Since beginning her studies at Roski, Remi notes her style evolved to incorporate more of the contemporary design elements she admires such as “1960s psychedelic poster design and editorial style photography,” a compelling contrast with her more traditional roots.

“For a while my paintings, a lot of them came from photos that I liked enough that I wanted to see it bigger on a canvas,” FroGo said. “More recently, I’ve merged my use of Photoshop with my painting techniques and messed around with images, designed stuff on software first, and then brought them onto a painting.”

When the coronavirus pandemic forced a halt to her freshman year at USC and a quarantine in her home, Remi felt as if the inventive spark which had driven her for so long had sputtered.

“From my perspective, I felt like [quarantine] really hindered everything,” FroGo said. “Really not having a routine every day, it just kind of felt like I was falling behind and not creating a lot.”

In an effort to revive her artistic curiosity, FroGo launched a full-fledged online boutique called FROGO — a shop full of items she hand-painted or sewed together from scrap materials and a complete graphic branding scheme. In one eager swing of pent up artistry, FroGo undertook the work of an entire team of designers, including those of forms she had never before handled.

“I was not in school, I was at home. I didn’t have much to do,” FroGo said. “So I just started painting on clothes and sewing. It was probably at its peak during quarantine … [but] I still take orders and everything.”

Though FroGo found joy in exploring a new creative space, she found a vital aspect of her work missing prior to her return to campus this fall: collaboration.

“A big thing I noticed during the pandemic was that not being around other creatives is probably what took me down the most,” FroGo said. “Just being around other people, creating, seeing what they’re doing — I think that’s probably the most valuable thing.”

Though painting is usually a solitary activity, FroGo finds collaboration with other artists, professors and even her audience imbues her with inspiration. She has worked on the design team of RoskiMag, and has overseen the design and marketing teams of Mash Magazine and Bloom Boutique respectively, and even served as an art camp instructor for kids. One of her closest collaborators is Ellie Williams, a junior majoring in popular music performance and a musician with whom FroGo has worked on multiple album covers, posters and photo shoots.

“She has this really great ability to understand what you want for yourself, even if you don’t know how to communicate it fully,” Williams said. “[She’s] able to put that thought and vision into words and into an actual product, which has always been amazing to see happen.”

Williams continues to work with FroGo on the pair’s combined artistic endeavors, from video shoots to merchandise design. She notes that FroGo is a wonderful “influence and energy to have in [her] life,” making her a joy to collaborate with and an inspiration for Williams to continue improving. 

Julia Lin, another of FroGo’s close friends and a junior majoring in journalism, also gives a glowing commendation of her affability and imagination.

“She’s the best,” Lin said. “She’s so kind, and just constantly creating — even when she doesn’t know that she is. Like, she’s just doodling and I’m like ‘That’s the best thing I’ve ever seen, how do you do that?’ And she’s like, ‘I didn’t even know I was doing anything!’”

Lin said she loves how FroGo’s work is “always just so bright and vibrant and kind of makes your day and brings joy, which I think is something that’s so necessary right now. I love that her art always reminds me to smile.”

While her new brand thrives — supported by custom orders, feedback from fellow artists and a constant presence on her friends’ social media — FroGo isn’t too preoccupied by her future career prospects to focus on everyday life.

“I’ve never settled on anything specific,” FroGo said. “I think anything involving either graphic design or fine art … But, if I’m creating, and I’m liking what I’m doing, then I’m cool with it.”

Whatever path Remi takes — or, rather, paths — she is certain she will continue to imbue her art with the same interactive spirit which brings such value to her life and work.

“I aim for the viewer’s own interpretation,” FroGo said. “I can make any concept that I want to attach to [a] piece, [but] I’m just going to let the viewer understand it themselves … I will make something because I want to make it and then, later on, as the viewer myself, put [my own] meaning to it.”

Julia Lin formerly served on the Daily Trojan masthead.