HUMBERTO MALDONADO
About
BIO
Humberto Maldonado (b. 1993, Turlock, CA) is a figurative painter from a Mexican migrant family who lives and works in San Francisco, CA. They earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from California State University of Stanislaus in 2019 with the Most Outstanding Student Award. Recent exhibitions include Nudity is Not Radical!, Kravets Wehby Gallery, New York (2024) and La Casita Amarilla, Soft Times Gallery, San Francisco (2023). Maldonado was nominated for the SFMOMA SECA Award in 2024.
Statement
As a queer Mexican-American painter, my artistic practice serves as a means of catharsis and self-expression, providing a process through which I heal from personal experiences and celebrate moments of joy. My work reflects the liminal spaces that I inhabit and aims to provoke a reaction from viewers. I consider myself a storyteller with a humorous touch, who explores issues of identity, culture, belonging, and family dynamics.
Utilizing acrylic paint and drawing inspiration from the aesthetics of fauvism, magical realism, and Mexican muralism, I employ bold colors and simplified figures to create allegorical representations of my lived experiences. These representations often blur the lines between reality and escapism, drawing cues from my beloved Telenovelas (Mexican soap operas).
Within my paintings, unapologetic and stoic figures are depicted in a state of suspended animation, navigating the complexities of the human experience. These individuals find themselves amidst cluttered environments, influenced by objects that resonate with my Indigenous-Mexican heritage, Catholic upbringing, agricultural background, as well as references to my queerness. Catholicism is a central theme in my current body of work, exploring the ways in which religion has been used as a tool of colonization and oppression. Objects such as saints or blood droplets are utilized to critique the impact of Catholicism on my life.
The inclusion of certain objects commonly found in Mexican households, like sarapes, wooden masks, eggs, and kitchen knives, emphasizes the importance of preserving my ancestral traditions while exploring my own humanity with the language of kink. Through my paintings, I confront themes of shame, discrimination, abuse, self-discovery, and forgiveness in an absurdist manner, calling attention to overlooked issues and offering glimpses of light-hearted moments. My work often delves into Mexican American history, exploring the intersections of family, identity, and sexuality. As an artist, I aim to push boundaries and create works that exist in a space between the disturbing and the blissful.
CV
Solo Exhibition
2023, “La Casita Amarilla ” | Soft Times Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Two-Person Exhibitions
2022, “La Vida Es Tormento y Tristeza” | CounterPulse Art Center, San Francisco CA
Art Fairs
2022, "The Holiday Art Market" | Future Fair, Online Exhibition with Artsy, NY
2022, "Nubes Art Fair" | Heaven Gallery, Chicago IL
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Selected Group Exhibitions
2024, “LATINX ART NOW!” | Museo de Movimiento de Arte Cultura Latino America, San Jose, CA
2024, "Just a Perfect Day" | FLXST Contemporary Gallery, Chicago IL
2024, “The Complex Complexion” | SF LGBTQ Center, San francisco, CA
2024, “Nudity is Not Radical” | Kravest Wehby Gallery , New York City, NY
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2023, “Untitled” | Museo de Movimiento de Arte Cultura Latino America, San Jose, CA
2023, “Pyramid Scheme ” | Bass & Reiner Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2023, “The Cake Show” | Soft Times Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2023, “LATINX ART NOW!” | Museo de Movimiento de Arte Cultura Latino America, San Jose, CA
2023, “Best In Show” | Crisis Club Gallery, Oakland, CA
2022, "A Rebels Fantasy" | FLXST Contemporary Gallery, Chicago IL
2022, “Crimson Tide” | Soft Times Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2022, “Deconstructing to Rebuild!” | Museo de Movimiento de Arte Cultura Latino America, San Jose, CA
2022, “Big Gay Art Show” | Gem Studios, Oakland, CA
2022, “Only in Dreams” | Soft Times Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2022, “Love Will Keep Us Together” | Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts, San Francisco, CA
2022, “Small Works” | Soft Times Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2022, “LATINX ART NOW!” | Museo de Movimiento de Arte Cultura Latino America, San Jose, CA
2022, “Soft Times Soft Launch” | Soft Times Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2021, “Regalos de Amor y Arte” | Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts, San Francisco, CA
2019, “Juried Winners Show” | California State University of Stanislaus, Turlock, CA
2019, “The Queer Art Collective Exhibition” | Main Street Gallery, Turlock, CA
2019, “Queer Identity” | Tri-Chromatic Gallery, Modesto CA
2019, “Extent of Territory” | Brigham Young University Art Gallery, Provo, Utah
2018, “Annual Juried Exhibition” | California State University of Stanislaus, Turlock, CA
2017, “Annual Juried Exhibition” | California State University of Stanislaus, Turlock, CA
2016, “Annual Juried Exhibition” | California State University of Stanislaus, Turlock, CA
2013 - 2015, “Annual Group Show” | Merced Community College, Merced, CA
2011 - 2012, “Juried Group Show” | Merced County Art Show, Merced, CA
Online Exhibitions
2022, "Queer Identity" | AucArt, www.aucart.com/artists/humberto-maldonado
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Awards, Grants, & Fellowships
2019, “Most Outstanding Student” | California State University of Stanislaus
2019, “Daniel Smith Art Supply, Most Outstanding Painter” | California State University of Stanislaus
2018, “Best of Show (Juried Exhibition)” | Stanislaus State Downtown Gallery, Turlock, CA
Collections
Brigham Young University | San Jose State University, President's Office
Residency
2021, “Mourning Residency” | Mission District, San Francisco , CA
2019, “Diversity Department” | California State University of Stanislaus, Turlock, CA
Publications
2024, Art Exhibition Profile,Kravest Wehby Gallery ,Hyperallergic Brooklyn NY
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2022, Art Exhibition Profile,Museo de Movimiento de Arte Cultura Latino America |Metro Silicon Valley, Bay Area,CA
2022, Art Exhibition Profile, FLXST Gallery | The Chicago Reader, Chicago, IL
2022, Artist Interview | Xiaohongshu (RED), Hong Kong
2022, “Soft Times Quarterly” Artist Profile | Soft Times Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Curation
2019, “The Queer Art Collective” | Main Street Gallery, Turlock, CA
Education
2019, Bachelors of Art, California State University of Stanislaus, Turlock, CA
Dean's List: 2017, 2018, 2019
Contact
Inquiries about: Gallery Showings, Available Work , Commissioning Work and/or Collaborations