Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do.

I’m a Mexican-American artist living and painting in Brooklyn, New York. I make surreal landscapes that reference the divide between my two nationalities.

What are some recent, upcoming or current projects you are working on?

I am excited to announce that I have a solo show at Mindy Solomon Gallery in Miami that opened in early April.

What is one of the bigger challenges you and/or other artists are struggling with these days and how do you see it developing?

I think a lot of artists are struggling to make sense of the market. After a big surge in sales during Covid, we are seeing an inevitable contraction. This has been hard on a lot of artists, but I think with time it will be more sustainable. People are buying now because they love the work and want to support artists, not because they are speculating on a market.

How do you see your work evolving in parallel to things that are going on around you right now?

My work has always been an attempt to personalize the political. I consider my father’s complicated immigration story and my relationship to being Mexican, the root of the work. Many of the central themes of the work; belonging, borders and immigration, are themes our current political system is wrestling with.

If you had to explain your work to a stranger, what would you say?

My work depicts an imaginary place between Mexico and the US as a way of thinking about what it is to be Mexican-American

Do you have a specific routine when you first enter the studio?

I tend to do everything but paint when I get to the studio. If there are emails, cleaning or rearranging, I prefer to do that first. Once I’ve run out of excuses, I’ll start to paint.

Does your work come from any one place or environment?

My work is really an invented landscape that loosely references the US Mexico border.

Is there a specific source you go to for inspiration?

I rely on trips to Mexico, old family photos, books and the internet for most of my imagery.

Do you conjure a narrative when making certain pieces?

I would say I conjure associations from the narratives I’m referencing in mesoamerican mythology.

What have you been listening to lately?

I can’t stop listening to the podcast Artholes. It’s my obsession.

What was the last show you saw that stuck out to you?

I just saw the Caspar David Friedrich show at the Met. I wasn’t expecting his drawings to be so intimate. I’ve always thought of his work as really dramatic, but the subtlety and affection in the ink drawings were breathtaking. That shift in scale from the paintings to the drawings was incredible.

Do you consider collaboration an important part of making?

I don’t collaborate with anyone to make art. But I consider my artist community a form of collaboration. Studio visits, openings, artist friends, these are all ways of sharing ideas and getting good feedback.

What are you really excited about right now?

I’m really excited to be growing as a painter. I’ve gotten a lot of good exposure recently, and I think it’s really benefiting the work. Having more eyes on the work gives me a better understanding of what works and what fails.

In regards to your making, what is something that you’ve always wanted to do and are working towards achieving it?

I’ve always wanted to make work that could reach people. I feel like through artist talks and shows, I’ve been able to commune with a lot of my viewers. I often get one or two people who come up to me to tell me about their family’s immigration story. Every time that happens, I feel like the work is really being seen.

Can you share one of the best or worst reactions you have gotten as a result of your work?

I think the worst reaction is when you see someone walk past without looking! But the best reactions are when you see people you admire look deeply. I always feel really honored when that happens.

 

Interview conducted and edited by Liam Owings