David Enriquez is an emerging figurative painter and sculptor based in the PNW. He was born in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca, but moved to the U.S. at a very young age. His first encounter with art took place inside a colonial church filled with paintings and sculptures of crucified Christs, sorrowful madonnas, and tortured saints. This Catholic iconography, syncretic religious practices, rich artistic history, and childhood memories of his homeland are a constant source of inspiration for him.
Artist Statement
My work is extremely personal, from idea to production. Art making for me has become a form of self-guided therapy; I am able to reflect on ideas, concepts, emotions, events, etc. With every artwork I produce, I am able to communicate the findings of these reflections. In a sense, my paintings and sculptures say what I sometimes struggle to verbalize. Some of the themes that I explore in my work include, identity, politics, and religion. I incorporate art historical imagery and references into my works to create visual commentaries on contemporary issues.
Education
The City College of New York (CUNY)
BA: Art History, 2021summa cum laudeAwards
2021, James R. Steers Prize in Art: Awarded to a graduating Art major for overall excellence in art. 2018-2021, CUNY Mexican Studies Institute Scholarship Fund 2020, Connor Merit Award: Art History
2020, Jacob Rothenberg Award: Excellence in Art History
Conference Presentations
“The Huipil of Tehuantepec: The Evolution of a Pre-Columbian Garment that Became a Symbol of Feminism, Modernity, National Identity, and Appropriation,” Mexican Studies Institute Scholarship Seminar, Lehman College, The City University of New York. January, 2021Group Exhibitions2023
Emerging Artists 2023, Dodomu Gallery (online)
Color Field: Blue, Dodomu Gallery (online)
Miniature Monumental, Bristol Art Museum, Bristol, RI
2022
Pride, Lycoming College Art Gallery, Williamsport, PA
Tell Me More About Yourself (Self-Portraits and Other Autobiography Endeavors), Gallery Aferro, Newark, NJ
Face to Face: National Juried Exhibition, Arc Gallery, San Francisco, CA
A.R.T. International Juried Exhibition, Lycoming College Art Gallery, Williamsport, PA
2015
SAMESEX 2015, City Lights Gallery, Bridgeport, CT
2011
Smallworks, Carriage Barn Arts Center, New Canaan, CT
Residencies
2022Obracodobra Artist Residency, Oaxaca, Mexico
Teaching Artist-in-Residence, Spring 2022, Hudson River Museum, Yonkers, NY