Meet Mario Munguia Jr.

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mario Munguia Jr.

Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
Drawing at an early age is what really got me hooked. I used to sit at home, school, my dad’s office after school and fill up notebooks and legal pads. I was influenced a lot by what I was seeing in pop culture, movies, cartoons, comics, toys, etc. I was, (and probably still am) a super absorbent sponge soaking up as much graphic and stunning visual information as I could. I would look at the design and development of characters within their own stories and then use all that information to create my own. On a daily basis I often jumped back and forth from actual reality and the imagined reality I had made pretending and sometimes dressing up as the characters I created. When I figured out that what I was doing could somehow be a profession I went ahead and signed up for classes in public school and since then I never questioned doing anything else, and I was extremely fortunate to have only wanted to do one thing. I would describe it less as pursuing a passion and more as something that I just need. Although the themes and ideas behind what I make have of course expanded and evolved throughout the years, the same spirit and the need for making has always remained the same. Not losing touch of those formative years is what continually pushes my practice, and the desire to always express an important idea or start a worthwhile conversation has me convinced that I will get through my remaining years in a similar way.

Please tell us about your art.
At the moment I am working figuratively with clay/ceramic as a primary focus. I was sucked into the world of clay because I once again felt like a kid using my hands to directly shape what was in my mind. There are also significant historical and cultural associations attached to working with clay in essence cultivating civilization. However, it is also a material that is available worldwide that anyone can access and as I often tell myself no matter how serious the work becomes, at the end of the day I am still just playing with mud. However, that does not take away from the crucial responsibility of making art.

The role of being an artist can be defined and has evolved in so many ways throughout humankind’s existence, but the responsibilities that each artist wants to take on, and what and how they choose to communicate through their work, is what I consider to be the ultimate factor of influence and inspiration. To be a part of this world that effects and is affected by everything is critical to our evolution and understanding of what it is to be a human, and as an artist I am honored to be a small part in adding to that discussion.

Ancient cultures have represented their core values and way of life in visual form primarily through didactic figurative work. My focus is to develop a narrative around those ideas referencing historical art movements mixing them with contemporary issues while creating a personal mythology. Geologic forms are linked with an identity reflecting a subversive “other.” Down this trajectory I recognize unseen patterns, and develop content around interactions, sometimes tied to a notion that refers to social contexts and how developing and interacting beings perceive one another and go through the experience of confronting something that is detached from the closed interior self.

I firmly believe there is more value in living through experiences as opposed to a measurement of time. One of the biggest highlights of those experiences comes in the form of interactions with other beings. Perceptions, reactions, discussions, are all formulated throughout the thought process, elevating questions of identity, conformity, and agency. I find it most interesting how those pathways are navigated and what in totality we all bring to these shared experiences as a collective and as individuals. Pulling all these ideas together and setting them on the table to have a worthwhile conversation is what I aim to do in my work.

Choosing a creative or artistic path comes with many financial challenges. Any advice for those struggling to focus on their artwork due to financial concerns?
The definition of art and the discussion of what makes good art will be never ending, and while usually an artist with massive monetary resources will be able to produce more, and present significant large-scale projects and works, one’s own true personal and creative value can never be fully measured. Art is available to everyone, and everyone has multiple entry points of engaging in some expressive and creative medium. Limitations are usually brought forth by institutions, societies, and personal opinions. Yet there is no law written or preached anywhere that serves as the basis for all artworks. Works can exhibit nonphysical qualities, retain conceptual value, be made out of human refuse, elements of the natural world, social interactions, and anything and everything currently at your disposal. The drive to create is not always necessary to inspire, the inherent act of making will thrive on its own.

How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
As of 2018 I will be entering my final year of graduate school at ASU, while still remaining a student I have the privilege of working out of Grant Street Studios in downtown Phoenix. The re-purposed warehouse has its own gallery with exhibitions open to the public and private studios guests can occasionally pop in to see what is going on. I will be participating in a few shows leading up to my thesis exhibition in March of 2019. A group show coming to Fine Art Complex 1101 in Tempe, a group show to be held at the ASU Harry Wood Gallery revolving around science, collections, and nature. An out of state exhibit at The University of Texas at Tyler, and will return to be featured as one of the demonstrating artists of the annual Ceramic Studio Tour hosted by the Ceramic Research Center at ASU.

Contact Info:

• Email: mmungui7@asu.edu
• Instagram: mario.munguia.jr

Image Credit:
Mario Munguia Jr.

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