News — Jerome Tiunayan

Skip the roses and chocolates. This Valentine’s Day, give the gift of art.

Jerome Tiunayan’s new holiday print release “Better Half” captures what love is all about: sacrifice, commitment and devotion. Commissioned expressly for Valentine’s gifting by Vertical Gallery owner Patrick Hull, “Better Half” (which showcases Tiunayan’s semi-autobiographical signature character and the boy’s canine comrade, a stand-in for the Chicago-based painter’s mini goldendoodle Mochi) is signed and numbered in an edition of just 25 copies, and sized at 16 by 20 inches — perfect for standard frames.

“Better Half” kicks off the Vertical Collectors Club series, which features exclusive seasonal-themed releases from the gallery’s favorite artists. In the latest installment of our web-exclusive interview series Five Questions with…, Hull pulls back the curtain on Vertical Collectors Club’s origins, and previews what’s coming next. 

Question 1: How did the Vertical Collectors Club concept take shape? 

Patrick Hull: It just seemed like a fun thing to do. I'm always looking for ways to stay in front of our collectors, and to grow our collector base. We've been doing print releases with our artists for years, but I've been wanting to do something a bit more organized, and this felt like the perfect time to do it. 

An artist creating an original work for a print release is a slightly different twist to how prints are usually done. Usually when a painting is created, it’s shown somewhere, and then a print is made at a later date. But “Better Half” was created for the sake of being a print. We’re also making the original painting available for purchase, which is another twist. I’ve been a collector for years, and I’ve never seen a release quite like this one.  

Question 2: Why did you launch the series with a Valentine’s Day-themed print, and why was Jerome Tiunayan the right artist for the job?

A print release needs a purpose. Tying the first release to an event like Valentine’s Day seemed like a clever idea, but I didn’t want a big heart on paper — not that that’s a bad thing, but I wanted to offer the kind of work I would frame and hang on my wall all year round. 

”Better Half” is Jerome’s first print release through a gallery. I knew he would take the Valentine’s Day idea and interpret it in his own artistic way, and he hit it out of the park with the very first image he sent me. It’s exactly what I was looking for. 

Question 3: Where will Vertical Collectors Club go from here? 

All releases in the series will be very limited, affordable editions priced in the $200 range or below — “Better Half” is $165, for example. We’re going to release a new print every six to eight weeks, and when people purchase this first print, we’re giving them the option to secure the matching edition number of the next one, which will be by Laura Catherwood.

As you can tell by the name, it’s a collectors club — right now, the focus is on prints, but eventually, we may offer something other than a print. It could be hand-finished editions, it could be objects, or it could be something entirely different. We’re keeping our options open, and making sure it remains an interesting project for the artists that we work with.

Question 4: Shifting gears, Vertical Gallery celebrates its 13th anniversary this year. What can collectors expect?

We always have a theme for our anniversary shows, and this one is pretty basic: it's 13 artists, and it opens on Friday, the 13th of March. Each artist is doing four works each. Some artists we haven't shown in over a year, some are the usual suspects you see frequently in our shows, and there's one new artist in the mix who’s never shown at Vertical, or even shown in Chicago before.

The exhibition will be at Jackson Junge Gallery in Wicker Park. It’s the first time we're doing an anniversary show at a different location. Partnering with galleries can really be a win-win: We're bringing our customers to them, and I'm sure there's gonna be a lot of their people viewing a Vertical Gallery show for the first time, too. 

Question 5: What else is in store for Vertical during the coming months?

We've got Collin van der Sluijs booked for July. We're partnering with Joy Machine Gallery for that. We’re doing a big group show at Frame Chicago in September — over 25 artists. And we just booked Aqua Art Miami once again, so we will be returning to sunny South Beach. We’re doing another group show like we did in December, and I’m just starting to put together the group of artists for that exhibition. It’s going to be another busy year.

Dogs make the best sidekicks, both in life and in art. Just ask Jerome Tiunayan. 

Jerome’s sly, supple paintings, most recently on view inside Vertical Gallery’s booth at Aqua Art Miami 2025, showcase the fantastical exploits of his semi-autobiographical signature character and the boy’s canine comrade, a stand-in for the artist’s beloved mini goldendoodle Mochi. The dynamic duo’s misadventures continue with the Feb. 2 release of Jerome’s limited-edition print “Better Half,” the first installment in the new Vertical Collectors Club series. 

“A character like mine needs a partner in crime,” Jerome (@gohomejerome) says. “I think it's cool to come at a story from two different perspectives.” 

Jerome and his now-wife Valerie adopted five-year-old Mochi (so named for Japan’s ubiquitous sweet rice cakes) prior to relocating to Chicago from their native New York City. 

“Val’s a schoolteacher, and at that time, she spent her summers working in a pet shop,” Jerome recalls. “Mochi was ill when she arrived at the shop. She couldn’t be left unsupervised, so Val volunteered us to look after her for a few days. The idea was that the dog would eventually go back to the pet store — Val really wanted to keep her, but I didn't want to have any extra responsibilities. Then, on the second day that Mochi was there, I was drawing on the kitchen table, and she wormed her way in between my feet. She seemed to know exactly what to do to make sure that I would never get rid of her or give her up. It made me realize how selfish I was being, not only about her, but about Val. It grew from there... It felt nice to care for something outside of myself.”

Jerome’s affection for Mochi inevitably spilled into his fictional world. “I didn't really put much thought into it, beyond ‘It'd be cool if my character had a companion when I send him on adventures.’ I love ‘Calvin and Hobbes’ [Bill Watterson’s classic comic strip about a precocious six-year-old and his stuffed tiger], and I'm sure that has something to do with it,” Jerome says. “There’s a balancing act to the work that features both characters. The kid’s an all-work kind of person, which reflects how I am in real life. The dog’s lighthearted, positive outlook is a reminder that it's okay to play every now and then.”  

“Better Half” captures a rare break in the action. The sweet, simple scene depicts the boy offering the dog half of his sandwich — a show of sacrifice, commitment and devotion. 

“I don't look at them as individual paintings. It’s a whole narrative, and I'm just showing you little pieces of it,” Jerome says. “For ‘Better Half,’ I wanted to paint something where they're resting, as opposed to something travel-oriented. Val taught me that feeding somebody, or having somebody feed you, is a gesture that can only be from love.” 

“Better Half” kicks off Vertical’s Collectors Club series, which features exclusive seasonal-themed print releases commissioned from the gallery’s favorite artists. Vertical owner Patrick Hull requested “Better Half” for release in time for Valentine’s Day gift-giving. 

“I wanted to offer collectors something that fit the holiday, but also something that would hang on the wall year round,” Patrick explains. “Valentine’s Day isn’t only about romantic love — it’s also about friendship and appreciation. I knew Jerome would understand the feeling I was looking for, and he captured it perfectly.” 

“Better Half” is signed and numbered in an edition of just 25 copies, and sized at 16 by 20 inches — perfect for standard frames. “We've done a lot of prints in conjunction with exhibitions, but this is the first time we’ve commissioned an original work expressly to release a corresponding print edition,” Patrick says. “The other special thing is that some lucky person will be able to purchase Jerome’s original painting of the ‘Better Half’ print image.”

Moving forward, Vertical Collectors Club will drop a limited-edition print every six to eight weeks, based on a brand-new work by a different artist; email sales@verticalgallery.com to purchase “Better Half” and lock in matching edition numbers on subsequent releases in the series. 

Jerome next returns as one of 13 artists featured in Vertical’s 13-Year Anniversary Group Show, on display inside Chicago’s Jackson Junge Gallery from Mar. 13 through Apr. 19. While Mochi will almost certainly factor into the equation, don’t hold your breath for an appearance from Jerome and Val’s other dog, Margot. 

“Margot is only focused on ‘What time are you feeding me?’ and ‘Can you make room on the couch so I can sleep 23 hours out of the day?’” Jerome laughs. “I’ve given thought to a storyline where I could depict both dogs — that's very much a possibility, although I don't know how much it would make sense right now. Either way, Margot doesn't give a shit if I paint her or not.”

Purchase the print here.

Vertical Gallery is very proud to announce the Vertical Collectors Club, a limited-edition print series featuring exclusive seasonal-themed releases from the gallery’s favorite artists.

Vertical Collectors Club launches with the Feb. 2 release of Jerome Tiunayan’s “Better Half,” timed especially for Valentine’s Day gift-giving. “Better Half,” which stars Tiunayan’s semi-autobiographical signature character and the boy’s canine comrade (a stand-in for the Chicago-based artist’s beloved mini goldendoodle Mochi), is signed and numbered in an edition of just 25 copies, and sized at 16 by 20 inches — perfect for standard frames.

Vertical Collectors Club offers art enthusiasts worldwide the opportunity to acquire strictly-limited, high-quality print editions from the most sought-after talents in the urban-contemporary realm. 

“We've done a lot of prints in conjunction with gallery exhibitions and events, but Vertical Collectors Club marks the first time we’ve commissioned original work expressly to release a print edition,” Hull says. “The other special thing is that some lucky person will be able to purchase Jerome’s original painting of the ‘Better Half’ print image.”

Vertical Gallery will officially release “Better Half” through its website on Monday, Feb. 2 at 10:00am ET/7:00 PT, but collectors can pre-order their copy of the print now and receive free shipping if purchased before Jan. 31.

Moving forward, Vertical Collectors Club will drop a limited-edition print every six to eight weeks, based on a brand-new work by a different artist. The next release in the series, coming this spring, features longtime Vertical favorite Laura Catherwood.

“Better Half” sets a high standard for Vertical Collectors Club efforts to follow. A refreshing pause from the comic misadventures captured in Tiunayan’s previous works, the sweet, simple “Better Half” depicts the boy offering the dog half of his sandwich — a show of sacrifice, commitment and devotion. 

“I don't look at them as individual paintings. It’s a whole narrative, and I'm just showing you little pieces of it,” Tiunayan says. “For ‘Better Half,’ I wanted to paint something where they're resting, as opposed to something travel-oriented. My wife Valerie taught me that feeding somebody, or having somebody feed you, is a gesture that can only be from love.”

Tiunayan’s fierce affection for five-year-old Mochi made him the perfect choice for a Valentine’s Day-inspired piece, Hull says.

“I wanted to offer collectors something that fit the holiday, but also something that would hang on the wall year round,” he explains. “Valentine’s Day isn’t only about romantic love — it’s also about friendship and appreciation. I knew Jerome would understand the feeling I was looking for, and he captured it perfectly.”

For additional information on Vertical Collectors Club, contact info@verticalgallery.com.

Jerome Tiunayan’s spirited, narrative-driven paintings bring to life the semi-autobiographical misadventures of his signature character and the boy’s faithful canine sidekick — a Hero’s Journey for our postmodern age. 

The Brooklyn-born, Chicago-based painter, one of 13 artists exhibiting with Vertical Gallery at Aqua Art Miami 2025 (December 3-7), first appeared in our space as part of 2024’s Summer Group Show, and resurfaced at year’s end for our annual Holiday Group Show. Jerome returned this spring for the gallery’s 12-Year Anniversary Show, and in September, he co-headlined ‘The Scenic Route’ opposite Joseph Renda Jr. and Laura Catherwood. Discover what’s next for Jerome in the latest installment of our Artist Spotlight series. 

Vertical Gallery: Tell us about the work you’re exhibiting at Aqua Art Miami 2025.

Jerome Tiunayan: After ‘The Scenic Route,’ I wanted to do something more lighthearted — something where I could experiment, and let loose a little bit. This is my first time showing in Miami, and I wanted to capture the audience’s attention. 

The overall title I’m working with is ‘Main Character Syndrome.’ I’m an only child, and each of these six paintings [depicts] a different scenario that I daydreamed about as a kid to pass the time and have fun — for example, imagining myself as a samurai. 

I made a conscious effort to strip away the environments, because I didn’t want the character doing stuff in the real world. I wanted to see how compelling I could make the work when he’s not doing anything other than sleeping, which is why in one piece he’s drooling, and in another he looks kind of like a cherub. It's all about restraint, and how far I can go with that restraint.

How has growing up an only child impacted your body of work as a whole?

It is everything. I say that not trying to be dramatic about it — I tacked on the title ‘Main Character Syndrome’ because I feel you can’t take yourself too seriously. But I like to think that I was preparing my whole life to be able to do this work, and being an only child has definitely helped that. I have very vivid memories of spending most of the day alone on the floor with my drawing utensils and paper, just locked in. What I do now is a lot more elegant and cleaned up, but it’s the same shit, really. 

Most of my work is autobiographical to a degree, especially the work that I did prior to the paintings I’ve shown at Vertical — the more macabre, black and white shit. I used myself as the model for all of it, not only because it was easier to not have to scour the internet for references, but because I knew what I wanted it to look like, so I could just pose however I wanted it to be.

I like making work that has me in it, because I know what went into it, what it means to me and what I'm trying to say. Being an only child lends itself perfectly to that, because I've had my whole life to just ruminate and sit in my own thoughts and figure things out. It makes approaching the work — this type of work, at least — that much easier. 

Why did you leave behind the “more macabre, black and white shit” in the first place, and why did you decide to incorporate these elements back into your practice?

I moved away from it because it didn't feel authentic to the life that I was living anymore. I started working in that way when I was in college, because I thought it would be fun to confine myself to only working in pen, which translated into ideas in line with this dark, monochromatic sort of look. Eventually I got to a place where it felt less like what I wanted to do and more like what I thought people expected from me, which is a recipe for a slow death. 

At that time, I was super afraid of painting backgrounds. It was always too hard, so I just avoided it. But that got boring after a while, so I decided “I'm just gonna do all backgrounds now. Let's see what happens.” That’s when I started introducing color, to make it as lively and vibrant and as accurate to the real world as possible.

[The black and white imagery] found its way back because it worked perfectly with how vibrant I wanted the Miami pieces to be. I thought “Okay, I can go as crazy as I want with black and white. It won't be visually overwhelming because it's just grayscale, and it'll contrast nicely with the flat colors.” The black and white also allowed me to pull in all the references from old movies. It all just put itself together. 

Is your character maturing in tandem with the maturation of your work? Or is he more in line with a character like Charlie Brown, who’s stuck forever at eight years old?

I don't like the idea of him getting older as I get older. I don't even have a specific age for him. I just like the idea of me figuring out better, different ways of communicating the things I think and the ideas I have as I get older. I want to retain the innocence of a young kid and his dog, you know? I think he’d lose a little bit of that if I was to portray him as a teen. 

How do you hope the Miami audience responds to this body of work?

I hope it resonates with what they daydream about. I also hope It's evident that I put a lot of care into it, and a lot of love and attention into it. 

Really, though, I hope they just feel something, even if they hate it. Obviously, who doesn't want people to love their stuff, or at least like it? But it can be just as useful and just as beneficial for a creator to have somebody not like your stuff, because that says just as much. You can learn a lot. The worst thing is apathy. That’s a dead end.

Don’t miss the opportunity to add work by Jerome Tiunayan (@gohomejerome) to your collection! Email sales@verticalgallery.com to receive our Aqua Art Miami 2025 collector preview. 

Jerome Tiunayan synthesizes personal storytelling, comics-inspired illustration and gallows humor to recast the Hero’s Journey for our postmodern age. His spirited, narrative-driven paintings depict the semi-autobiographical misadventures of his signature character and the boy’s faithful canine sidekick (inspired by Jerome’s dog Mochi) — a radical, career-redefining break from the bleak, inky catharsis of the artist’s previous professional work. 

Jerome (IG: @gohomejerome) first appeared at Vertical Gallery as part of 2024’s Summer Group Show. He resurfaced at year’s end for our annual Holiday Group Show, and most recently appeared at the gallery’s 12-Year Anniversary Show in April 2025. Jerome also joined the Vertical staff part-time in October 2024, soon after relocating from his native Brooklyn.  

From Sept. 5-27, Jerome will co-headline the Vertical group show ‘The Scenic Route’ alongside fellow Chicago-based painters/Vertical teammates Joseph Renda Jr. and Laura Catherwood. In the latest installment of Vertical’s Artist Spotlight series, Jerome previews his contributions to ‘The Scenic Route,’ shares the mindset behind the work and explains why death is only the beginning.

Vertical Gallery: ‘The Scenic Route’ represents your fourth appearance in a Vertical Gallery group show. How is this new work different from what you’ve exhibited here in the past?

Jerome Tiunayan: I don’t know if I would use the word “different.” In my previous work, there was no real throughline: it was just my character and his dog in different places. This time, I wanted a more focused, cohesive story, and I didn’t want to rely on the environment to tell the story. I relied on the character. 

It’s a very deeply personal story. If people want to ask about it, I’m not going to pull any punches — I’ll tell them everything they want to know, and everything that went into it. But I want the work to be enigmatic, and I want to keep it mysterious.

‘The Scenic Route’ pairs you opposite two other Vertical fixtures. Take us behind the scenes — what goes into a group show like this one, especially when you’re working with close colleagues?

One half of me — the one I leaned into most — didn’t want to be the weak link. The more people there are in a group show, the easier it is to get away with shittiness. But with only three people, you’ve really got to be on point, or else the whole show suffers. I’m very aware there’s a hierarchy: Joe and Laura are much further along in their careers, and they’ve achieved much greater success than I have. I respect them a lot, and admire their work ethic. I just wanted to be good enough that my work didn’t take anything away from theirs. 

The other half of me was like “I’m going to smoke these fools” [laughter]. I really want the work to be good, and I want people to come into the gallery and think “Damn, he held his own” or “I like this stuff more than the other stuff.” It’s a balance between wanting to be invisible and make [Joe and Laura] look good, and wanting to separate myself a little bit. 

The last time we saw your character, in April’s 12-Year Anniversary Show, he died. Now here he is back again, the picture of health. What meaning does death have in your world?

It’s a chance to start over. I like that idea. I also like the idea of leaning into cartoon reality, where characters die but reappear in the next episode. Things just keep going. I like that suspension of disbelief. 

I can’t be too precious about where I am, the work I’m making and the story I’m telling, because there’s always room for another one. If a part of me has to die for things to continue or live on, I’ll lean into that. That’s the whole impetus for making this work [with my character]: I had to leave part of me behind to lean into this stuff. 

Your paintings tell a classic boy-and-his-dog story. Why does that narrative trope continue to work after all this time, and across so many different mediums?

Because longing for companionship doesn’t go away. We’re all hardwired for community, and we want to go on adventures with others, instead of just doing things by ourselves. 

Have you ever read Into the Wild [Jon Krakauer’s 1996 non-fiction book about Christopher McCandless’ ill-fated hike across North America into remote Alaska]? Just before he died, Chris McCandless wrote “Happiness is only real when shared.” I never forgot that. He fancied himself this vagabond, but in the end, he wanted someone there with him. People always want someone to lean on, now more than ever.

What’s next for you after ‘The Scenic Route’?  

I’m exhibiting with Vertical at Aqua Art Miami 2025 in December. I’ll have six pieces there. I’m keeping the concept close to the chest, but I’m very excited about it.