It’s easy to live the traditional life of working 9 to 5 to pay the bills and feed the kids. While there’s nothing wrong with taking this life path, it often leaves people unfulfilled. Pedro Rei was all set to live a “cookie cutter” life until the sudden passing of his father. Now, he has found his passion as a clothing and art designer as he pays tribute to his father through self expression.
Growing up in Winnipeg, MB with Portuguese immigrant parents, Pedro and his siblings had values of education, hard work, and achievement instilled in them. Like most people, his well-meaning parents never told them to take the road less traveled by encouraging them to pursue their dreams. But when a sudden heart attack took his father, Custodio Reis, from their lives, Pedro reevaluated his purpose. So he started a clothing brand in honor of his father, using his father’s signature for the logo.
Pedro started first using spray paints and acrylics to make custom denim jackets and small canvas paintings. Those were such a hit that he evolved into fully customized denim and leather jackets and upcycled garments. Pedro also creates multi-media canvases, incorporating broken glass, diamond dust, and other 3D objects, like porcelain doves and roses.
“I am now making 15 to 20 ft murals that are sealed in gold infused high gloss epoxy resin coating, being the first to create this style of murals. I have created murals in and shipped my artwork to Lisbon, Miami, New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Winnipeg, Calgary, Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal,” says Pedro Rei.
With every piece of artwork Pedro creates, he is keeping his father’s positive energy going. As a child, he remembers being fascinated by impressionist paintings from Edvard Munch and Vincent Van Gogh. Now he is using his passion for art to honor his father’s legacy. “I was always into fashion and customizing my clothes as I grew up, so starting a clothing brand was something I was super excited to do! I just needed a reason to start, I guess. Making a t-shirt to honor him was what I needed to push me in that direction!” says Pedro Rei.
As Pedro expands his art collection, he is creating custom murals as well as collaborating with local artists and businesses. He is also working on more intricate pieces as he experiments with new media, including neon lighting.