Muuy de aquí": Exploring Sonora's culture and folklore through art

Welcome to my tenth solo exhibition! I am excited to present "Muuy de aquí", a show that celebrates the culture and folklore of the state of Sonora. As a visual artist, my goal is to capture the richness and diversity of this region through my mixed media and exploratory style, where collage plays a fundamental role.

For me, composition is the foundation of my work and I always seek new ways to combine different elements, textures, and colors to create something unique and surprising. I am passionate about color and use it as a tool to attract viewers' attention and convey emotions.

In this exhibition, I have worked with phrases and expressions from Sonora's popular language, using humor as a pinch of pepper to give a fun touch to some of my works. I was inspired by conversation with friends and their way of speaking to create an authentic and close environment.

In my work, I find influences from artists such as Basquiat, Picasso, and the Bauhaus school, but I always seek to give it my own touch and make it as personal as possible. I hope that visitors to the exhibition can enjoy the works, discover the slang of this land, and experiment with their own senses. "Muuy de aquí" is presented at the Center for the Arts of the University of Sonora from April 20 to May 5, don't miss it!

My seventh solo exhibition, presented in Tucson Arizona

Despite the natural adversities of the health emergency we are experiencing, I have the privilege of present the exhibition "Los Buquis de la Pandemia" at the Consulate of Mexico in Tucson, Arizona.

The main board of the Leonora Carrington Gallery includes this short phrase that symbolizes the artistic exhibition: "The smile of children can completely change the sad days of adults." *Buquis, word of Yaqui origin that means children.

The visual constant is formed from the patterns that are perceived in the middle of each face of the buquis. They don't know it, but it is a virtual tattoo they acquired due to the pandemic. This will be transformed into a kind of medieval armor that will protect them against the adversities of their adult life. If one spends a few moments viewing the work, one can somehow appreciate how the personality of each buqui is being reflected. I capture different tonalities through the mixed media technique so that the observer connects with them, either with his person or linking him with his offspring and close ones.

When attending public places it is essential to protect ourselves, in this case art galleries are no exception in the use of face masks, here a very peculiar case occurs, not only the observers take care of themselves but also the works, all the faces of the children bring covers mouths, so they also take care of their health.

I am very motivated by the arrival of my "Lady with sunglasses" number 90

Today I am in front of the computer, I made the decision to retake the BLOG from my website, I have it dusty and full of cobwebs, I confess writing is not my element, I leave my comfort zone, so it is better to go to the bike and pedal.

 Within this critical situation that we all know, I made the decision to upload a creative product to Instagram every day that I was satisfied with and also continuously project my professional career as a visual artist.

 The confinement I believe is not a natural position in the human being, so forced by the circumstances I started this commitment with myself, "Lady with sunglasses" was born.

 These are girls that I capture daily in mixed media, in some cases I probably exceed in experimentation, frankly and giving value to my work, I have a lot of fun in the process, I have my most prolific days so I make the most of them.

 Friends tell me that some of these ladies are very different from each other, I reply that each one has their own personality and that they are part of the diversity that we live today.

 Sometimes I end my day in my studio and close the door, I am curious that my "ladies" just wait for me to come out to start talking, you know, about what her day was like or maybe about the new member.

 Tomorrow I arrive at my "Lady with sunglasses" number 90, it has been a long process and at the same time a daily creative challenge, these "women" inspire me to continue, I invite you to join me in this journey.

Humanitas, my recent work in Tijuana

Last march I had my most recent solo exhibition titled HUMANITAS, at the Tijuana Cultural Center (CECUT by its name in Spanish). That institution has a museum, a theather and its education arts forum.

It makes it a great influence maker for the Mexican-American  culture abroad and a must-go to reference regarding trends of different cultural expressions.

Its considered one of the most important spaces in the north west of Mexico, CECUT also has a great influence on the south of california by its convergence with the Hispanic community. It makes it a great influence maker for the Mexican-American culture abroad and a must-go-to reference regarding trends of different cultural expressions.

In the search for creative solutions, to attract greater assistance to my solo exhibition

In this blog I want to share one of the elements of support that significantly help achieve a successful art exhibition.

We know that the most important thing are the art pieces, in an earlier post (Why exhibitions are important) I mention this, although this time I will focus on the invitation that is sent, to attract more people to the opening and later days of the show.

Today, virtually all invitations are electronic, so I try to differentiate myself and you can also do it, printing pieces that will serve to raise the attendance of future buyers. In addition, it is not necessary to make large numbers, or have bulky budgets, often using a different paper, even in black and white, get your prospects interested.

My career of origin, is Graphic Design, so I feel inspired to produce invitations with characteristics, which reflect the creative proposal of the exhibition, so in this post, I present the concept and production of the invitations for the series "Las Mushashas "

The concept of the exhibition, places the woman in a central position, it is about fourteen faces of ladies, which contain features and expressions of so many people who have left a mark on me as a gift of life; My grandmothers, my mother, my wife, daughters, teachers, colleagues, friends ... all of them, somehow represented in these pieces, elaborated in mixed media technique, being a distinctive element, the use of gift wrapping paper in them.

The invitation is in a small gift box (5 x 5.5 x 2 inches) with my logo printed on the top, in the silk-screen technique and in around it, a section of gift wrapping paper, which was used on all art pieces, inside, printed on semi transparent paper, invitation text and below this, the surprise .... A cloth scarf printed, by the method of sublimation, with the image of one of the works. It was suggested to the invited ladies, who will wear it during the opening of the art event.

I hope that this experience, which I had in designing the invitation of my solo exhibition, help fulfill your goals as an artist.

My visual interpretation of the reality of print media

By Alejandro Soria

In this blog I want to talk about the two new works that I did, in order to participate in the group exhibition, with the media theme, within the activities of the XXIX Symposium of the Sonoran History Society, of which I am an associate.

The mentioned pictorial pieces reflect the reality of the printed media of our time, where social media have been gradually replacing the experience of physically browsing newspapers and magazines, as well as interactivity and, above all, immediacy.

I used the dove as a symbolic element to unite the two pieces, where the features of the bird are inspired by the pigeon of peace of the Olympic Games of Mexico 68, made by the great designer Lance Wyman, who had great influence, in my time of college student.

The work on the right titled "Shredded" and consists of the interpretation of a sheet of newspaper passed through a paper shredder, on the partially destroyed sheet I created a horizontally presented pigeon, where the visual effect of the crest is created or Pigeon tail with paper strips on the bottom.

With the second piece (left) of name "140 characters" I referred to Twiter and following the conceptual aspect of the two works, I pulled the sheet out of a school notebook and took the pieces of different sizes to collage the dove. For reference, it includes the legend "And to think they were 140 characters".

Finally, worth the comment, the reality that the print media face somehow concerns. When I finished college, I worked few years in the design area of mportant national newspapers in the early 1980s, when most of the design processes were done by hand.

Start your art collection at home

By Alejandro Soria

It is not as expensive as many people think to start your art collection at home, although it is a difficult decision at first; Nor is snobbery as some say, or a luxury only for the rich and famous.

Before making the decision to start your own collection, here are some tips:

ENJOY THE PROCESS

Do not let you take the opinion of others, choose what you really like you and enjoy every step you take in forming your collection.

PAY MORE NOT ALWAYS THE BEST

Not necessarily the most expensive is the best, talking about art; try not to buy on impulse or because is trendy. Find out, take your time make a consultation on the web about the world of art.

NO FASHION, NO FEELINGS

They are decisions that are almost done with the heart. The momentum is good but there is always a reason. The piece of art has to like it, plain and simple.

STARTS WITH YOUR PEOPLE

Start your collection with local artists; in addition to help your people, you have the opportunity to produce works according to your space needs.

TAKE CARE OF YOUR BUDGET

An economical way to start your collection is to acquire fine reproductions, is important the authentication of the artist's signature.

Finally, become collector requires an investment, but it is an investment in yourself, your heritage. To start a collection as required patience and learning, but also a fun way to express yourself and support art.

This article was published in Family Magazine.

Soria takes a 'major leap', exhibiting his work in La Aurora

By Agustín Valle

avalle@correorevista.com

Alejandro Soria, a Sonoran visual artist, is giving a 'major leap' in his career in the arts, showing his work in one of the most important art centers in the country, Fabrica La Aurora in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato.

In an interview for Correo Magazine, Alejandro Soria, said that this exhibition in San Miguel de Allende, is a very important in his career.

The contemporary artist, graphic designer graduate in Arts at the Savannah College of Art and Design, Savannah, Georgia, opened place in this new stage in the center of Mexico with some of his paintings "Face What" and Holistic Perspective.

"It is a very importantstep in my career as a visual author," he said, "The Aurora is a magnet of great collectors of art as a foreign national."

Soria was the center of attraction at the opening of Manuk Gallery, directed by Mexican artist Lourdes Rivera in the Fabrica La Aurora this month and will continue through September. Exhibiting is the result of previous work conducted four months ago in Guanajuato.

"I am very motivated by this exhibition because will open up more doors " he said. Soon, along with Salvador Corral, Fernando Lopez and Daniel Rivera, members of Mubas (Museum of Sonoran Fine Arts), will present at the Symposium of History a collective: "History of Media" and in January Soria will have its latest solo work on display in the gallery Francisco Eusebio Kino of the House of Culture.

My work in Manuk Gallery, inside Fábrica La Aurora (San Miguel de Allende)

This past Saturday August 6th I had the honor to exhibit my works for the inauguration of Manuk Gallery, a new space located in San Miguel de Allende's Fábrica La Aurora (http://fabricalaaurora.com) , one of the most important art hubs in México. 

If you ever find yourself about in San Miguel de Allende, I highly recommend you visit Fábrica La Aurora. You can visit pretty much any day of the week and take a look at hundreds of works of art of artists from all over the world.

My experience as an artist in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

I want to share the past few weeks that I've lived, along side my family in this gorgeous historic town in Mexico called San Miguel de Allende. In 2008, it was named a Cultural Patrimony of Humanity by UNESCO and in 2013, Conde Nast Traveler considered the town to be the best touristic destination in the globe.

San Miguel de Allende is one of those places you just have to visit and see for yourself. I can spend hours talking about the beauty of the historic downtowns with their XVII and XVIII architecture, the fresh air you feel walking down its rocky streets or the impressive amount of art galleries San Miguel has to offer, as the cliche says, it really does have to be experienced in the flesh!

The heart of the artistic scene in San Miguel is embodied in "La Aurora", a magical place that used to be a thread factory that operated for almost 100 years, is since 2004 a center for all things art and design. One can enjoy over 20 galleries, studios, bookshops, antique shops and more. The place maintains a lot of the original machinery for display purposes and it makes for astounding scenery.

I had to privilege to be invited to exhibit my work in "La Aurora", in Galería Manuk, as part of the collective that will inaugurate this new cultural space. I proudly and humbly share the space with artists Juan Luis Hernández , Lourdes Ortiz Rubio, Fernanda González, Laura Begoña, Efrén de la Cruz, Mary Van de Wiel and of course, Lourdes Rivera, who runs the gallery.

Galería Manuk will open its doors Saturday August 6 at "La Aurora" in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.

An artist can grow by helping his community

One of the activities that really round a person, is their pro-bono work to communities, putting egos aside, one must sometimes give without asking back. We artists have a great opportunity to grow by helping our community with our work, giving a part of ourselves.

An opportunity was presented to me in the last quarter of 2015, where me and a group of colleagues (Salvador Corral, Fernando López Moreno, Daniel Rivera )that form part of the Museo de las Bellas Artes Sonorenses Siglo XXI set to brainstorm what would be the best way to help more people through our work.

The initiative "Artistas Unidos por Hermosillo" was born and consisted on donating a total of 160 lithographies (40 works per artist), individually numbered and signed. They were exhibited and sold, directly to help the most vulnerable families in that live in my hometown.

The exhibit was in Palacio Municipal de la Ciudad, where we had the presence of Mayor Manuel Ignacio Acosta, who thanked us in behalf of the families supported, specially during the Holidays, which are a very sensible time when families are more united.

Thanks to the people who contributed  buying the lithographies, we were able to get 500 Christmas dinners for the Miguel Aleman county (in the outsides of Hermosillo) and personally deliver and watch the faces of the people we were supporting. It was an amazing experience and we are already working on this years edition.

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Thank you for reading me! I'm always available for commission work, exhibits or potential networking opportunities. You can reach me at my contact page here.

On Location-based art: A look into my bathroom

I love works of art that derive their meaning from their space. Whether that is in a museum, a coffee shop or the streets. Location-based art is special because it's often very purposely designed for the exact place it is located in. And that is the case for my Guest bathroom series.

It's important for me to add that I’ve always been a fan of adding a little fun in my works. Usually it's very subtle, but in this case, I really wanted my guests to be surprised with the unexpected (In a good way!) when they visited my house and to to leave with a fun anecdote.

There are three works in my house guest bathroom. All strategically located to be seen during specific activities.

                                                 “Concéntrate” 12x16

The first one is called “Concéntrate” (Concentrate) and its placed right in front of the eye-level while sitting down in the toilet. It causes a great reaction, because the first thing you see when you sit is a small 12x16 inch acrylic painting that stares at you over a white wall, reminding you to stay focused.

                                           “¿Qué me ves” 23.5 x 31.5

When men are standing up ready to do their business, the second painting is presented upon them: a large canvas with an enigmatically big brother-ish hypnotic eye and a legend that reads “¿Qué me ves?” (What are you looking at?) as you are faced with one of two options: face away, or stare deeply into the painting as you pee.

                                              “Bien lavaditas” 12x12

Lastly, a fun (but very important) reminder is shown in “Bien lavaditas” (Neatly washed!). Which is a traditional caring expression a lot of moms a grandmas in Mexico use to remind their younglings to clean up after going to the restroom.

Since hanging this small and quirky series in my home, I’ve enjoyed the reactions it’s received from my guests and I strongly encourage other painters to try doing something playful at an unpredictable space. The reactions are pretty fun!

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Thank you for reading me! I'm always available for commission work, exhibits or potential networking opportunities. You can reach me at my contact page here.

Why exhibitions are important

I think exhibitions are an essential element in the career of a painter, especially the solo ones, it become a central part of the maturation process, since it is the result of a period of creation in which the artist develops a creative concept, is equivalent to a Cd of a musician or a book by a writer.

Painters narrate our stories on the canvas, in every brushstroke are expecting something, it is important to show our viewers, because that way we create very strong links.

In group shows, however, sharing the stage with other artists, where different perspectives, different histories, different languages, generating very enriching learning spaces for both the artist and the viewer.

Because of my background in graphic design I put special attention to the consistency of visual aids in the exhibition, we are talking about printed invitations and online, cover, text room and generally all visual aspects that complement and support my artistic work .

Each exhibition becomes a creative “birth” where you see the time as the "family" grows, so have to take over the growth and development of each "member".

The rebirth of my site

As described in the about section I am Alejandro Soria, Mexican visual artist.

I am very motivated to launch my new website. I can tell you that enjoyed the process, and of course thank you very much to those who supported the site to give birth.

I worked a number of years in the design department of newspapers, this helped me to be very careful to respect the grid, in this case follow the template of Squarespace . I want to mention that it is very flexible, allows you to stamp your own style and does not need to be an engineer to use it, also have an excellent help section.

Finally I invite you to explore the site, feel free to send comments, thanks for your time.