MAURICIO VILLARREAL GARZA

Mauricio Villarreal’s work is populated by ethereal beings that escape any intention of restraining them. Their bodies—sometimes discernible, and other times barely hinted at—are made up of the same element as memories and dreams. It is a translucent blanket that can be passed through and touched, but not trapped, like a wisp of smoke or the steam left after a hot shower. These characters are self-portraits in different times and perspectives of the artist’s life, as they originate from experiences and the exploration of the subconscious. Additionally, the characters represent archetypes of social conditions, human behaviors, and common fears.

For Villarreal, art has the potential for emotional healing. The painting functions as a threshold of access to a spiritual reality that manifests itself in the memory, desires and mood of both the creator and the viewer who finds a bond of empathy in the work.

He studied architecture at TEC for two years, then he began to paint.

He enrolled in architecture at the California College of the Arts in San Francisco, and transferred to a bachelor’s degree in arts at UDEM. In addition to his practice, Villarreal paints, does analog photography, perfumery, ceramics, sculptural pieces and clothing.

He has participated in four group exhibitions in Monterrey, one of them in 2016 at the Centenario Museum, in 2017 at the Metropolitan Museum and in the Marcelo Galán studio space and in the group exhibition “Casa Erosionada” at the Anahuacalli Museum by Diego Rivera Agosto – October 2023. Has participated in Salón Cosa MTY. And he has had three individual exhibitions; Espacio sin nombre, Monterrey in 2020, another in CHUCH.