EDUARDO SARABIA
Mexican-American, B.1976
Eduardo Sarabia was born in Los Angeles to Mexican parents in 1976. This upbringing can be seen in his work, which addresses the cultural impact of social phenomena and is permeated by the historical-geographical baggage of his background. Sarabia's work is based on his own life experiences and saturated with storytelling and personal aesthetic principles. He currently lives and works in Guadalajara, Mexico.
The reference points of his work are autobiographical and frame the social-political and cultural events in his life. In turn, this sets the stage for his bold experimentation with color, which veils the intimate parts and allows the viewer to interpret his art for themselves.
One of his series of paintings features what looks like typical family snapshots showcasing people enjoying the sunshine, taking in the view over a body of water, and smiling at the camera. These images are then covered in bold dabs of paint that match the initial photograph's color palette. The effect illustrates the duality of reality and illusion.
Paint isn't the only medium Sarabia has mastered. He also works with common Mexican artisanal materials such as ceramic tiles, hand-woven textiles, and glass. His use of blue-and-white ceramics is based on typical Talavera designs, a traditional Mexican pottery pattern. He shapes these into sculptures, paintings, installations, and performance pieces that seek to uncover and address this region's social, cultural, and material exchanges.
He has had many individual exhibitions in museums such as the Museo Universitario del Chopo, Mexico City; The Mistake Room, LA; Museo Tamayo, Mexico City; Instituto Cultural Cabañas, Guadalajara, Mexico; Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Oaxaca (MACO), Oaxaca, Mexico; Museum of Contemporary Art, Denver, Colorado; Tokyo Wonder Site, Japan; ASU Art Museum, Tempe, Arizona; Santa Monica Museum of Art, California, among others. His work has also been included in various collective exhibitions, such as New Blue and White in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Massachusetts (2013); Turn Off the Sun: Selections from La Coleccion Fundacion Jumex in ASU Art Museum, Tempe, Arizona (2013); New Territories in the Museum of Arts and Design, New York City (2011); An Expanded Field of Possibilities in the Santa Barbara Contemporary Arts Forum (2009); and Phantom Sightings: Art After The Chicano Movement in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, to mention a few.
In 2008, Sarabia was part of the Whitney Biennal in the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. His acclaimed project Salón Alemán has been presented in a wide number of museums and exhibitions around the globe. Moreover, he has produced diverse public projects and interventions in venues such as the New Museum in New York City; Art Public in Art Basel Miami, Florida; and Unitednationsplaza in Berlin, Germany. Sarabia’s artwork is part of various public and private collections internationally. He currently lives and works in Guadalajara, Mexico. which he participated in between 2012-2013.
