Paolo Tolentino: Nostalgia Propagandist
Written by Michael Lodato
Published on August 14th, 2025
Paolo Tolentino has developed a refined taste for good propaganda. He is the type of guy who can give an off-the-cuff analysis of the relative merits of British versus Soviet wartime messaging. And that persistent fascination has shaped his work for much of his life.
In Year 9, he chose to study history and found himself drawn to Soviet wartime recruitment posters. He was particularly struck by Nina Vatolina’s 1941 poster: “Fascism Is the Worst Enemy of Women! Rise Up and Fight It!” Vatolina was a prolific propagandaist—her other work includes pieces like “Don’t Chatter! Gossiping Borders on Treason.” As art critic Skye Sherwin points out, the British equivalent of that poster would be “Careless Talk Costs Lives.” This approach is much softer, appeals to reason, and tries to sell you on the idea. As a student, Tolentino recognized that nuances in technique and perspective completely change the way the message hits the viewer.
British propaganda, to Tolentino, felt more like commercial advertising. “They made the war seem like an adventure, like ‘Come join the army. Oh you can’t afford a vacation? This is your opportunity,’” he said. Soviet propaganda, by contrast, has a certain crispness—bold colors and clear messaging. “It’s straight to the point,” he said. Inspired by history, he sought to emulate the effect of propaganda by toying with new formats, like vintage ads and travel posters. Tolentino earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing, completing coursework in advertising, but he found himself drawn more to capturing an aesthetic than to selling products. Still, his knack for generating strong, catchy headlines has informed his work.
Born in the Philippines, Tolentino’s family moved to England when he was young. As an adult, he relocated to New York and immersed himself in the artworld. Now an established artist, he winces as he looks back on his days of scraping together a living. “My goal is to never go back to Dollar Tree steaks,” he said. In New York, he became part of a Filipino street art collective called the fobb$. Collaborating with fellow artist AJ Lavilla, Tolentino put on multiple group shows, including two at the Filipino Consulate.
Tolentino earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing, completing coursework in advertising, but he found himself drawn more to capturing an aesthetic than to selling products.
In 2018, Tolentino turned to TurtleCaps to gain experience curating and hosting shows. He recalls assisting Turtlecaps with the setup of a show at Woodside gallery called Project For Living Artists. There he also learned to hang art with the help of BelowKey. Tolentino later met Joshua Cicerone, founder of Arty Goodness, and was excited to learn that they share many core values, including the importance of building trust between curator and artist. His first show at Arty Goodness was “The New Amerikana,” which he co-curated with Jappy Agoncillo. The focus was on how Asian American artists from different backgrounds see America, drawing on his own experience of moving to New York as a British artist with roots in the Philippines. He continues to enjoy choosing themes that challenge the artist as he did for “In Between,” a show featuring work that transcends one medium.
Tolentino has also been a consistent contributor to Underhill and Washington Walls, curated by Jeff Beler. He recalls painting his first mural for Underhill Walls during a particularly wintery November, staying until 9:00 PM. “I’m usually the first one there and the last one out,” he said, explaining that he now cuts his stencils on-site. “My murals for UnderHill and Washington Walls are the best way to see how my work has changed over the years,” Tolentino said. He began by relying on his tried-and-true propaganda poster layouts, but later took inspiration from rap tees.
Much of Tolentino’s paintings are like period pieces, drawing on styles from another era. It’s easy to see that Tolentino feels struck by nostalgia often. “I try to bring people with me on that ride,” he said, “it’s like, hey, feel this nostalgia with me.” His early works were pop art portraits—a theme he continues to cultivate, depicting the likes of Princess Leia, Tony Soprano, and more. As the 2000s slip further into the past, he has become intrigued by representing the way that era’s marketers approached text.
Tolentino has pushed his time-tested format into new territory, using the poster format to both evoke nostalgia and tell a story. To that end, he has riffed on everything from Star Wars characters to cigarettes ads from the 1970s, as he did with his well-received “I Quit” piece. In his hands, product labels and advertising styles become vehicles for ideas—sometimes literally.
“My murals for UnderHill and Washington Walls are the best way to see how my work has changed over the years,” Tolentino said.
Some of Tolentino’s most compelling works portray classic cars flanked by thought-provoking slogans. He has been particularly influenced by song lyrics about the experience of pursuing one’s goals, such as “Dreams of a Porsche keep me up at night” from SAINt JHN. Another example is his Shelby Cobra piece, which reads “You cannot catch my drive. As fast as you try to go, you will never catch me.” Drawing from multiple sources of inspiration, he conveys the feeling of being a striving artist.
Despite his marketing training, Tolentino’s career has not been about selling products—it’s been about selling ideas and telling stories, packaged in striking yet familiar images. He continues to develop his skillset with an eye for impactful text that hearkens back to the past. Like a good propagandist, Tolentino knows how to use style and flair to press a message into your head in a way you can never forget.
Michael Lodato is a Brooklyn-based writer, independent tutor, and former philosophy instructor. His comedy has appeared in McSweeney’s, The American Bystander, and Current Affairs. He is passionate about using humor to teach big ideas and has contributed script writing to educational YouTube channels like Crash Course and Wisecrack. He is perhaps best known for the time he accidentally offered an edible to a former Bush administration official, who politely declined.
Instagram: @magnesiummike
Website: mikelodato.com