Meet Diego Perez

Today we’d like to introduce you to Diego Perez.

Diego, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
The painting has always been in my life. I did my firsts marks with my uncle Felipe, at the age of six. At the beginning it was only a game, we used to paint my favorite cartoons but, later he was showing me facial proportion and gesture. I was raised in a very cultural neighborhood in Mexico, the scenic Coyoacan, the barrio where Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera used to live; so every street and every corner has a historical anecdote.

For example, my grandpa Mario used to drink in a pulquería (almost like a bar) where Frida Kahlo used to invite everyone pulque. He told me how this artist entered the establishment limping but with such a strong personality that every man had to see her. I believe that my colorful childhood defines me, not just living in this barrio but how my parents show me to love art.

I like to think that my life as a serious painter started when I was 12 years old when I studied in the Midschool “Diego Rivera,” a school that was focused on art and humanities. Finally, I was able to study my bachelor degree in Fine Arts in the Art School La Esmeralda, the best Mexican art institution, that was founded in 1927 by Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, and other Mexican artists.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s been a difficult road, art is not an article of first necessity so, this was the first reason I decided to move to the US. For example, when I was living in Mexico city, I used to go every weekend to an art park in San Angel to sell my work.

The selection process to be in this park was compelling so at the beginning I was very excited, I received a lot of compliments about my art, but selling was a difficult issue, especially because I paint big formats.

Also in Phoenix trying to be recognized as an artist hasn’t been so easy because I didn’t know anyone so I was very lucky for meeting my curator Michael Oleskow, he has made my road smoother.

We’d love to hear more about what you do.
Humor is fundamental for my work. The nonsense, criticism, and laughter are part of my creative process. I consider essential to modified the legitimation of art and its regular approach of admiration and respect of the art piece by questioning the environment and by using the irony and sarcasm. I like to play with multiple social representations from the internet, daily life as a critic among nowadays wisdom and human communication.

It should be noted, that I grew up among an acid humor environment, that nowadays persists in my conception of the world; through painting, I have discovered a way to use this character as a tool to questioned what surrounds me in a relaxing and different approach of the oil painting tradition. My specialization is the oil painting, but I also work in murals, drawing, and sculpture.

What sets me apart from other artists is not just the humor on my pieces but my technique. I like to be considered as an alchemist because I prepared my own enamels, varnishes, and pigments.

Also, for having as a formative influence the Baroque, my style is inspired in Caravaggio and Rembrandt but I like to combine the contemporary, for example, I used the chiaroscuro (dramatic use of light) in a portrait of a dog dressed up for St. Patrick’s Day.

Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
I have several good memories, but one of my favorites was when I used to walk with my Mom to the Xicoténcatl Park that was close to our house.

We used to play a lot of games together but the best of all was on a rainy afternoon when we played in the mud, and with tree branches, we build a house. I like to think that this was one of my first sculptures.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://diegolcd.wixsite.com/missobras
• Phone: 602 473 7046
• Email: diegomexicanartist@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pabil.sag/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pabil.sag/

Image Credit:
The Workshop of Quiron

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