I love the creative aspect of art, and for as long as I can remember it has been the center of my existence… Born in Yucatan in the Mexican Merida in 1968, my art has been highly influenced by the rich heritage and diverse people of Mexico.

As a young child, my family moved to Mexico City where we lived in a cabin in the woods of the National Institute of Neurology—my father was the chief resident doctor. Living in that surreal context, I had my first social experiences as a human being, as the youngest brother, as a son. My typical playgroup included my two brothers, my sister, my cousins and eight dogs. Our explorations would take us on adventures in the surrounding woods where we discovered an abandoned school for kindergarteners where I found my first art supplies.

My beautiful young mother would give away cookies to the patients of the hospital who sometimes would get the chance to have walks on the premises. These experiences marked my perception for the rest of my life. Since that moment, I have perceived life as a chain of magical events and characters.   

When my father’s residency was completed, we moved back to colonial city of Merida where my magical reality transformed into the tragedy of routine school and other duties of an aspiring well-educated young ‘bourgeois’ son. When I was a teenager, I started studying drawing and painting from independent teachers. I yearned for adventure and my art provided passion and bliss as an escape from normalcy.

When I finished high school, I went to the Tarahumara Sierra in the North of Mexico to donate one year of work at a Catholic mission. I was teaching Spanish and History to the 4th and 5th graders. While watching over the activities of the students and complying with a monk schedule, I had the chance to read books about vocation and learned how important it was to have one in life. Of course, these books were about religious vocation, but I translated them into my interest for painting and chose to study art professionally.

At the age of 21, I moved back to Mexico City to attend the National School of Painting “La Esmeralda”. Life in the biggest city of the world—where diversity and contrasts play simultaneously—inspired my work, which is based on layers of meanings, sensations and references.

After my studies, I moved to Cancun in 1993 where I had my first experience as a professional artist. I opened my own studio to start producing and organizing my first exhibitions along with other artists.

I lived there for nearly two years before I was drawn to explore the emerging art scene of Miami, Florida. Soon after, I was accepted as a resident artist at the ArtCenter/South Florida. There I found a nurturing environment that allowed me to develop the skills I desired as an artist and grow as a person.

My work is clearly influenced by my cultural background which has given me the opportunity to represent Mexico at international art events. One of the highlights was the “First International Encounter of Latin-American Artists” at the Mediceo Museum in Seravezza, Italy in 2002. At this particular event I was honored to exhibit next to internationally known artists like Edouard Duval Carrie (Haiti) and Jose Bedia (Cuba, whose work I admire).

The Mexican pop flavor of my production was greatly appreciated in my exhibitions in Italy and led to the opportunity to receive a grant from Florida International University (FIU) to have a solo show in the Wynwood art district in Miami in 2003.

Throughout my career the strong symbolic content has also led to my work to be selected to illustrate numerous publications from a music festival catalog in Brazil, to an HIV awareness campaign in South Africa, to the Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, and many others.

Several times I’ve been invited by the Mexican Cultural Institute and FIU to make installations for the “Day of the Dead” celebration and give lectures in diverse educational institutions like Low Art Museum and Miami Dade College.

I’ve been fortunate to have had countless solo and group shows in galleries throughout the US, Italy and Mexico and to have my work included in private collections throughout the world.

I believe art appreciation and creating art is transformative to the human spirit and I strive to educate people of all ages how to find their own creative expression.