Presa House presents UTSA MFA Thesis Exhibition Omar González: Homebound
Courtesy of Presa House Gallery
Gallery photos by Jenelle Esparza
Read in by R. Eguia
Omar González (b. 1986) was born and raised in Kingsville, Texas, where he attended Texas A&M University – Kingsville and received his Bachelor’s of Applied Arts and Sciences in 2008 and his Master’s of Business Administration in 2009. Gonzalez later returned to obtain his Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in 2014 with a concentration in printmaking.
González is a sixth-generation Tejano, with strong family ties in Mexico, which allows him to navigate the inter generational exchanges between family members both inherited and lost. His current body of work focuses on the exploration of identity by questioning the beliefs 
and expectations passed down through generations. González examines the transmission of multi generational patterns, rigid gender roles, and the power structure within the framework of the household.
The exhibition is bittersweet for González who had been looking forward to the bustling audiences and energy that come with traditional First Friday Gallery Shows at Presa House. He walked audiences through a virtual tour on instagram last week and answered many questions in the Q and A that followed on the gallery’s Instagram live 
stream. He said the session was like going through UTSA’s MFA review process all over again.
The review process took place virtually and some other students in the program had to postpone due to exhibition cancellations. González said the 3-year program challenged him to delve inward and produce something really personal, which can be seen through his work that depicts his own family.
The exhibition evokes a conversation about generations where Latinx people share the same values in work ethic as their padres and abuelos and reflect different actions in a different time. González said the work conveys both strength and vulnerability.
He is currently teaching printmaking at UTSA and looks forward to continuing his self-discovery as a professor and as an emerging artist. Keep up with his story here: Instagram @ogprints
Presa House Gallery is proud to host the Master of Fine Arts Degree Candidate Omar González solo thesis show Homebound. The exhibition showcases highly developed printmaking techniques and installations produced throughout his three-years at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Much of his iconography is autobiographical depictions of rural South Texas, and the contributions expected of González in providing to the homestead. The exhibition opens Friday, May 1, 2020, will remain on display through May 23, 2020. A virtual tour of the exhibition and individual works can be viewed online at PresaHouse.com and Presa House social media pages. An online artist talk will premiere on the closing date on both the Presa House Facebook page and YouTube channel.
“I’m continuing the exploration of my identity as a person and artist through the lens of my upbringing. To convey this formation, I’m using a combination of large scale works and site-specific installation that dictates how the viewer interacts with the work and influences the perceiver’s art-viewing experience.”
– – – –
Event Link: http://www.presahouse.com/portfolio/may-2020/
Related Links: https://www.ogprints.com/
Instagram @presahousegallery – Facebook/PresaHouse
Contact: (210)913-5842 or presahousegallery@gmail.com
725 S. Presa | San Antonio, TX 78210 | www.presahouse.com
