Provided by the Artist
Luis Valderas received a BFA in Art Education from the University of Texas-Pan American ‘95. In 2005 Valderas co-founded and produced Project:MASA I, II, and III—a national group exhibit featuring Latino artists and focusing on Chicano identities. He also co-founded A3—Agents of Change LLC, a large-scale printmaking community engagement collaborative. Currently Valderas is a mentor and board member for the New York Foundation for the Arts. He has exhibited at the Medellin Museum of Art, Colombia, the Queens Museum, NYC and the URC Arts Block, Riverside CA. His work is featured in books such as: Altermundos-Latin@ Speculative Literature, Film and Popular Culture. Mundos Alternos-Art and Science Fiction in the Americas. Chicano Art for Our Millennium-2004 and Triumph in Our Communities: Four Decades of Mexican American Art-2005. He is in the permanent collections of UTSA, Arizona St. University, Art Museum of South Tx and the San Antonio Museum of Art.
Luis Valderas recibió un BFA en Educación Artística de la Universidad de Texas-Pan American ‘95. En 2005, Valderas cofundó y produjo el Proyecto:MASA I, II y III, una exposición grupal nacional con artistas latinos y centrada en las identidades chicanas. También fue cofundador de A3 — Agents of Change LLC, una colaboración comunitaria de grabado en gran escala. Actualmente, Valderas es mentor de la Fundación de Nueva York para Las Artes. Ha expuesto en el Museo de Arte de Medellín, Colombia, el Museo de Queens, Nueva York y el URC Artsblock, Riverside CA. Su trabajo aparece en libros como: Altermundos-Latin@ Literatura Especulativa, Cine y Cultura Popular. Mundos Alternos-Arte y Ciencia Ficción en las Américas. Arte Chicano Para Nuestro Milenio-2004 y Triunfó en Nuestras Comunidades: Cuatro Décadas de Arte Mexicoamericano-2005. Sus obras pertenecen a las colecciones permanentes de UTSA, Arizona St. University, el Museo de Arte de South Tx y el Museo de Arte de San Antonio.
Artist statement:
“I am a multi-disciplinary artist from the South Texas frontera. My process for making art has been informed by my experience growing up and working in a family owned and operated flower & ceramic shop. This required me to be involved in all the aspects of fabrication, production and distribution and taught me to jump to the medium needed to do the job. I make work that is based on meso-american mythology intermingled with science fiction, outer space and stories of my ancestors. I take icons and transform them revealing a connection through the past, present and future —sometimes it is obvious, sometimes ambiguous. My work is meant to exist in the 3rd space of reality where anything is possible.”
Declaración del artista:
“Soy un artista multidisciplinario de la frontera del sur de Texas. Mi proceso para hacer arte ha sido informado por mi experiencia creciendo y trabajando en un taller de cerámica y flores de propiedad y operación familiar. Esto requirió involucrarme en todos los aspectos de fabricación, producción y distribución y me enseñó a saltar al medio necesario para hacer el trabajo. Hago trabajo basado en la mitología mesoamericana entremezclada con la ciencia ficción, el espacio exterior y las historias de mis antepasados. Tomo íconos y los transformó revelando una conexión a través del pasado, presente y futuro, a veces es obvio, a veces ambiguo. Mi trabajo está destinado a existir en el tercer espacio de la realidad donde todo es posible.”
The cover art piece is called El Trio: Uno-Dos-Tres | 34” x 80” | mixed media on panel | 2012
“A good example of this multidimensional effect is El Trio: Uno-Dos-Tres, a 2012 mixed media painting. In it El Mariachi Lacho appears made of gold, standing in the splendor of the city next to him again and again. He represents the rich confluence of San Antonio through the visual allusion to the golden generations of those who came before. This is similar to the channels of skulls flowing and splashing through the turquoise skies above the mariachis. My father came to Texas at the turn of the century. Like many Mexican immigrants, his family was escaping from the turmoil of the Mexican revolution of 1910 to El Norte. They brought with them the tenacity for survival. This determination enabled my father to endure through his many experiences as a Mexican-American in the Southwest United States. I represent my father, Horacio Sanchez Valderas, in the multidimensional manner as he embodies those that came before him and will come after him.”
— excerpt from:
A Temporal Turbulence / La Tormenta Del Norte:El Mariachi Lacho Series Dissected by Luis Valderas
View more of the artist’s work this month at the Grand Reopening Reception of Centro De Artes next Tuesday, February 22, 2022 (6 p.m. – 9 p.m.) There will be a celebration of the NYFA Immigrant Artist Mentoring Program Exhibition – Round 2 with the opportunity to meet participating artists.
Located in the heart of downtown San Antonio’s Zona Cultural on the grounds of Historic Market Square, Centro de Artes Gallery is a two-story exhibit space dedicated to telling the story of the Latino experience with a focus on South Texas through local and regional art, history and culture and showcasing Latino artists and Latino-themed artworks. More information is available at www.sanantonio.gov/arts and follow us at @getcreativesa. #CentroDeArtesSA
