October 14 - November 4, 2023
From Nicole Longnecker Gallery:
“DREAM DREAM DREAM” is the first solo exhibit for Texas-based artist Carlos Donjuan, opening with an artist reception Saturday, October 14, from 4pm until 7pm at Nicole Longnecker Gallery, 1440 Greengrass. Dr.. The artist will be in attendance and the exhibit runs through November 4, 2023.
“DREAM DREAM DREAM” is a group of new grayscale work from Carlos Donjuan, an artist known for his brightly colored large scale paintings “… I’m working with new ideas,” he explains in an interview with Arts & Culture TX. “I know how to develop my own film; black and white photography helped me get through,” the artist says referring to family trauma in the last few years including the death of his father and a miscarriage.
“It’s a kind of sad story with a happy ending,” says Donjuan. “I realized I had all these photos of my wife, my dad, and my child that we had after the miscarriage. I started to make these gray scale watercolors. The lack of color has been the light for me at this moment,” he explains. “It really helped me…as I move forward. This is how I’m dealing.”
“I balance it by not giving too much and still holding on to some things for myself,” he says. “For me, one of the things I’ve always looked for in my life is being honest, but I try to be careful how much visual exposure I give through these images. I incorporate masks. I create a new narrative that is true to me.” Features are covered or partially obscured through Donjuan’s own menagerie of invented creatures, part cute, part eerie, and all allegorical. “I’m okay with making the work for myself first, being comfortable with myself and that helps with the honesty.”
“We are delighted to be able to produce Carlos Donjuan’s first Houston solo exhibit,” said gallery owner Nicole Longnecker. “This body of grayscale paintings are powerful and induce emotional responses from the viewer. They also embody a deep beauty from Carlos’ technique and ability to create moving paintings in large and small scale. This is important work.”
CARLOS DONJUAN BIO: Carlos Donjuan was born in San Luis Potosi, Mexico in 1982 and immigrated to the USA with his family at the young age of 3. As a child in school, Carlos quickly found his passion for drawing cartoons, lowriders, comic book characters and animals. During middle school and high school, he discovered his love for graffiti and mural art to express himself. He soon combined these passions with more traditional art teachings that he received from his high school art teacher Mr. Filberto Chapa. Donjuan immersed himself with learning about art techniques and art history while creating his own path and style.
Carlos later studied under Marilyn Jolly at The University of Texas at Arlington. Professor Jolly’s guidance pushed Donjuan to become a stronger more professional painter and soon received his Bachelor’s of Fine Art. After his undergrad studies he attended The University of Texas at San Antonio where he earned his Masters Degree in Fine Art. Donjuan worked closely with Professors Ken Little and Ricardo “Ricky” Armendariz, who challenged him conceptually and technically. His professors pushed Donjuan to better understand who he was in a deeper level, which contributed to the work he was creating.
After completing his studies, Donjuan became a professor at The University of Texas at Arlington where he is currently teaching. He has exhibited in galleries and museums on a national and international level. Carlos Donjuan has been in group shows and solo shows from Texas, California, New York, France, Spain, and Italy. His work is also part of Cheech Marin’s renowned Chicano art collection; much of which constitutes the core of the national Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture of the Riverside Art Museum (aka The Cheech).
Although Carlos has focused most of his time in the studio, he has never lost his love for painting murals. He works with the collective Sour Grapes, which include his two younger brothers and some childhood friends. Donjuan has painted murals, hosted workshops, and mentored at risk youths through the collective. This is a way for Donjuan to give back to the community through his mentoring and murals. He has always had a strong love for his neighborhood because it one of the main driving forces behind his work.
Reception: October 14, 2023 | 4–7 pm
Nicole Longnecker Gallery (Greengrass Location)
1440 Greengrass Drive
Houston, 77008 Texas
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