In the Doug Adams Gallery, artists René Arceo, Pepe Coronado, and Sandra C. Fernández use printmaking as a medium to present perspectives on identity, belonging, and social justice.
Now Showing: Geografías Paralelas
Three Prominent Latin American Artists Explore Themes of Identity, Belonging, and Social Justice
GTU's Center for the Arts and Religion (CARe) presents the must-see Geografías Paralelas ("Parallel Geographies"), a thought-provoking and visually stunning exploration of the multicultural and bilingual experiences of three artists who migrated to the United States as young adults from Latin America and the Caribbean.
The exhibition features select prints and mixed media works by René Arceo, Pepe Coronado, and Sandra C. Fernández, along with pieces the trio created together. While the artists differ in technique and style, they share the common experience of relocating to the United States from Latin America. Collectively, their imagery forms a powerful story of their Geografías Paralelas, or “parallel geographies.”
“We are honored to present these accomplished artists, whose work is included in major museum collections such as the Smithsonian American Art Museum, El Museo del Barrio, the Library of Congress, the National Museum of Women in the Arts, the National Museum of Mexican Art, and others,” said Dr. Elizabeth Peña, Director, Center for the Arts & Religion and Senior Lecturer in Art, Anthropology, and Museum Studies “Their imagery sparks important conversations about what it means to navigate U.S. politics and culture as a Latin American immigrant.”
René Arceo was born in Mexico but has lived in Chicago for many years, where he teaches and maintains his printing studio. His work pays homage to Mexican art tradition and history, while expressing social commentary that raises up the oppressed. In “Guardianes” (2019), Arceo depicts one of his students as the Mexican volcano Iztaccíhuatl, surrounded protective guardian figures from Arceo’s home state of Michoacan.
Austin-based Pepe Coronado contemplates his homeland of the Dominican Republic, with a particular interest in how claims of knowledge differ from one side of the border to the other. In many of his works, including “La Linea DR” (2015), Coronado turns the Dominican Republic’s border with Haiti into an abstract form that questions the very notion of the concept of “border.”
Through her art, Ecuadorian American Sandra C. Fernández depicts the U.S./Mexico immigration crisis, lending an immediacy to the plight of women and children. In addition to her prints, Fernández’ work includes an installation, “Sanctuary of Tears” (2019), that depicts a towering figure in white robes with a necklace of bullet casings. Some see a ghostly presence reminiscent of lives lost on the border; others perceive a protective force; many visitors have noted its resemblance to a Catholic shrine to Mary.
While the three artists share a Latin American perspective, the themes they explore are universal, timely, and open to individual interpretation. The Doug Adams Gallery welcomes all visitors free of charge, Tuesday through Friday, 10am to 4pm. Don’t miss this opportunity to view the work of these three nationally recognized artists in the GTU’s beautiful new gallery space.