Born and raised in the Philippines, Jonathan ‘Jon’ Gabriel finished his BS Architecture degree at Cebu Institute of Technology in Cebu City the second largest metropolitan area in the country where he earned extra curricular achievements in the course of his college years.
Apart from being an artist doing watercolor artworks and renderings for friends, he involved himself into the strenuous world of martial arts which earned him the first ever awarded title by the organization as The Best Combat Judoist of the Year award followed by his victorious experience in joining the full contact National Moo Duk Kwan (Tang Soo Do Karate) Tournament representing his school - winning all his six fights in two nights to grab the championship title. This triumph took him to a local movie production as a double to an action/comedy star with a bit player role which nearly took away his devotion to his schooling. But thanks to the good advise of his ever caring parents.
While working in an architectural firm at the heart of the country’s business center in Makati, Philippines after graduation, Jon carried on his love for martial arts when he was hired by a local Security Agency to train its personnel with arm combat disarming tactics on a part-time basis.
As the demands of employments progressed overseas, he ventured in the Middle East where he met his wife Marilou who currently works as a nurse in Phoenix. His extra curricular skills to mention his love for acoustic guitar since high school made him jovially involved with social activities such as stage performances in variety shows not only within the Filipino community but also with foreign groups through his British and Norwegian bosses. This extra attainment had later earned him a bit of extra income as acoustic guitar performer.
Hard working by nature, Jon strongly believes in honesty & hard work as ‘someone up there is always watching us on whatever we do’ he says. He never gave up his extra skills creating artworks where he got most of his architectural clientele.
Back home where they raised their two beautiful kids, Jonathan graciously enjoyed his life as a freelance Architectural and Interior designer and as an artist. The benefit of having to work as self-employed with his extra skills and previous achievements provided him access to the local movie and television industry as once, a TV ad commercial model for a pain relief tablet; as Movie Production Designer and Fight (choreography) Instructor and as Character Actor - to mention a few of his contributions to the local movie and television industry in his ‘video page’ above. He was a member of Philippine Cinema and Television Actors Guild Inc. until he and his wife finally decided to relocate to the United States for good in 2005. He now resides with his family in Phoenix where he joined an Architectural company in 2006 and now starting his own company called Design LYNKZ involving Architectural and Interior Design works; Arts & Crafts; Wall Arts and Accessories; Wall anchored furnishings such as Custom-made Mini-bars & Entertainment Centers etc.