2012: Super-Bato Saves the World, 2009 Courtesy of Electric Works

2012: Super-Bato Saves the World, 2009
Courtesy of Electric Works

 

Opening tomorrow, 6-8pm, at Kala Art Insitute is “FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION”, an exhibition of the work of Enrique Chagoya. Curated by Peter Selz and Sue Kubly, “Freedom of Expression” is a survey of Chagoya’s artwork from the past thirty years, including large charcoal and pastel drawings, prints, codices and three-dimensional objects, many of them completed since 2000.

 

 

When Paradise Arrived, 1988 Courtesy of the di Rosa collection

When Paradise Arrived, 1988
Courtesy of the di Rosa collection

 

Chagoya’s work incorporates historic and political subject matter to cast new interpretations of Mexico’s history and current political events. It follows in the grand tradition of the great 20th Century Mexican muralists; But it is most indebted to the legendary exponents of art of social satire: José Guadalupe Posada and Francisco Goya.

 

 

Pyramid Scheme, 2009 Digital prints on cans, silkscreen cardboard storage box Courtesy of Electric Works

Pyramid Scheme, 2009
Digital prints on cans, silkscreen cardboard storage box
Courtesy of Electric Works

 

His work invokes elements of pre-Columbian mythology, western religious iconography, and American popular culture, to address issues of Colonial conquest and its destructive wake, the problems of the border and the legacy of Mesoamerican culture. Chagoya approaches these subjects with a sharp but playful visual and verbal language, fusing a sense of irony with an incisive political and personal commentary. His innovative use of traditional media adds poignancy and surprise to his work, which are hallmarks of his art practice.

 

For more information visit here.