Stories and more... A selection of works by Nicolás De Jesús
February 17–March 26, 2023
Opening Reception Friday, Feb 17, 6-8 PM
Transmitter is pleased to present Stories and more... A selection of works by Nicolás De Jesús. Renowned artist and activist, Nicolás de Jesús, is a master printmaker profoundly committed to education, tradition, and his home Ameyaltepec in Guerrero, México.
In these elaborate etchings, the layers of fine details and composition set a stage for stories to emerge. Scenes of his pueblo, home, and community are at the heart of the imagery depicted – everyday life glows with a sense of wonder, joy, and surrealism mixed with a dose of humor. Recurrent motifs are rooted in the symbolism of Indigenous traditions, Mexican folklore, and contemporary culture. Printed on amate paper, made from fig and mulberry bark, this paper has traditionally been painted on and used for decorative and ceremonial purposes. During the 1960s de Jesús’s father, Pablo de Jesús, and his uncle, Pedro de Jesús, popularized amate paper paintings. Nicolás de Jesús grew up around this traditional artwork and assisted his family, while also growing into his own style. Nicolás de Jesús etchings continue his family’s legacy of inscribing traditions and tales from his Nahua community, with a keen awareness of customs and daily life. A pictorial tradition that can be seen in iconic influences from the lithographs of José Guadalupe Posada to painters such as Pieter Bruegel the Elder.
There is a constant bustle in the landscapes of the rural scenes of Ameyaltepec, where people and animals are moving, playing, and working. Where the land and sky meet and show the labor and process of the reed weavers in “Tejedoras” and in “El Mercado”, business at the market goes on as usual. While in the field “El Maiz”, the corn is being processed, and at home, dinner is being made, “La Comida”. The details are humorous, engaging the viewer in the scene that imagines the stories of the day, including a selection of traditional engravings of the Dia de Muertos, Day of the Dead –a Mexican tradition of honoring ancestors and life with satire as the skeletons feast in “Muertos de gusto”, dying of glee. These scenes are part of a collective memory that celebrates rural life and the Indigenous knowledge of the Nahua people.
“My style comes from the natural way in which we live in the villages. The space, and the composition, all come from that reality. ... I did not go to art school, and when people talk to me about depth or perspective, I say that I do this by intuition, in a very natural and free manner... I feel free when I draw. I fly, like a bird.” From A Mexican Artist for Global Justice, an interview with Patrice Giasson, 2021.
Thank you to the generous support of a private collection this selection of works can be shared with our community.
About the Artist:
Nicolás de Jesús (b.1960) has exhibited internationally uplifting his culture and activism, giving workshops in the USA, Canada, Brazil, England, France, Germany, Holland, Japan, and Indonesia. His work has been featured in both solo and group exhibitions at the South Bend Museum of Art, IN, Neuberger Museum of Art, NY, and the Arlington Art Center, VA.