José Arenas, (b. 1971, San Jose, CA) a New York based artist who spent many of his childhood years traveling between Northern California and Guadalajara, Mexico. His experiences of navigating two cultures along with its complex process of integration and assimilation has informed his work for the past several years.
Much of his work revolves around dual identities, dislocation
and displacement, and the feeling of disorientation from growing up
in 2 countries. These two geographies, Mexico and the United
States, existing as parallel worlds with distinct customs and
rituals have become a point of investigation in my work. He
explores this personal experience by creating collage style
vignettes that become fully realized paintings. Metaphorical images
like birds, navigational symbols- maps, compasses, ships- and other
elements have been used to allude to place, direction, and the
feeling of living in a state of in-between. These and many other
symbols are part of an evolving personal narrative that aim to
engage the viewer on a deep emotional level.
Arenas received a BFA in Painting from the San Francisco Art
Institute (1995), and an MFA from UC Davis (2000). His work has
been exhibited throughout the United States. Cities include San
Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, and New York City. Recent
shows include a solo exhibition at Yace Gallery, New York; Fountain
Fair, Miami Art Week, New York; TNC Gallery, “Pop Now”, New York;
Love and Luxe, San Francisco. Arenas teaches drawing at
Parsons School of Design and is a current board member of Art
Connects New York, an organization that places permanent art
collections in a variety of social service agencies throughout the
five New York Boroughs.
For additional information about this artist, visit Mutual Art
