Statement
My work is a meditative tool used as a therapeutic device to help me reflect on my PTSD trauma and experiences. I illustrate aspects of time, space, and nature, challenging my viewer to look inward and find balance through the chaos. My craft is often excessive; I use impasto and texture to move my viewers through the expanse of paint I set before them. I elaborate on my experiences through color, often relying on my feelings and intuition to compose my work. I aim to center the artwork around the paint itself, letting the interplay of medium and canvas narrate a tale and evolve into a living presence. My current work is an inward reflection of my cultural heritage. I seek to explore the indigenous symbology of my ancestors by incorporating them into my abstract expressionist paintings. The range of color that is in my work is inspired by the alebrijes de Oaxaca. As a child, I encountered them first in Mexico whilst on a trip with my father at a small market and felt a deep sense of spirituality from them.I continue the legacy of my ancestors by infusing my artwork with the elemental essence of alebrijes – fire, earth, water, and wind. Each element corresponds to a primal color that the ancient peoples of Mesoamerica resonated with. My practice seeks to merge the two. The materiality of paint and metal foils helps connect the imagery to cultural artifacts that the indigenous peoples worshiped, these primal forces are imbued with the vibrant hues cherished by the ancient communities of Mesoamerica. My creative journey is a fusion of tradition and innovation, as I marry these elemental energies with the tangible, which allows me to gaze into the past through their eyes. Allowing me to connect to my cultural heritage to re-indigenize myself by channeling the wisdom of my forebears, I embark on a voyage through time, reawakening cultural heritage and offering spectators a profound glimpse into bygone eras.
Biography
I am a first-generation American artist born on July 12, 1985, in Brownsville TX. My family emigrated from Mexico seeking a better life, and settled down in Houston where I spent my childhood. I always found myself drawing throughout my childhood and into high school, where I participated in the Houston livestock show and rodeo student art exhibitions. After graduating from North Shore High School, I enlisted in the US Army in 2004. I served in the United States Army as a Chemical Operation Specialist 74D, where I participated in Humanitarian support during Hurricane Katrina. I was also deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom where I was injured and returned home to complete my enlistment in 2015 as a Sergeant. After my enlistment, I began my studies at the University of Houston working towards my BFA. I graduated from the University of Houston Summer 2020 with my BFA in painting, Minor in Art History with Cum laude. I moved to Utah shortly after with my wife and son, currently working from my home studio In Hooper, UT.