Juan Santos was born in the Bronx, New York City, and later lived in a community of Puerto Rican single mothers in inner city Boston. Santos earned his MFA in Visual Art at Lesley University in Cambridge, MA, and now teaches art at Boston Day and Evening Academy, an alternative high school in Boston. His students often live in dystopian worlds of their own. Using the visual language of cartoons and the street language of graffiti, Santos is able to relate to his students about contemporary fears and trauma. He uses the language of comics and the recurring image of a cartoonish bird to address the difficult themes so many young people are facing.
“I invite you to explore the world through the eyes of Burd, a cartoonish parakeet navigating the wilds of Juantopia. This wild, weird, and twisted world defies expectations, where fears become reality and difficult topics like bigotry, trauma, spousal abuse, and alienation are impossible to ignore. I bring this world to life through comic-like lines and the vibrant, bold essence of graffiti. This bird is inspired by the many parakeets my grandmother had in her backyard in Puerto Rico. I wanted to make this bird easy to see, with simple bold lines that are easy to draw and spray paint.
My artwork is a reflection of my personal experiences, with Burd symbolizing myself. The creatures and nightmarish atmospheres, and the vast void that Burd traverses, represent the harsh realities of mental health, living in a world where, despite personal growth, one can feel stuck. There are stigmas associated with being Hispanic/Latino and the shame imposed by judgmental pointing fingers. My work is designed to shock, provoke, and challenge the viewer, pushing them to confront these issues head-on.”
- Juan Santos
Links:
© 2024 Gaslight Gallery. All rights reserved.