Liz Hernández represented by pt.2
Images courtesy of Katherine Du Tiel for SFMOMA
pt. 2 Gallery is excited to announce the representation of Liz Hernández. The painter and muralist joins the Oakland-based gallery following a commissioned mural on the third floor of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art(SFMOMA) and a solo exhibition Talismán at pt. 2 Gallery in November 2020. Hernández works across a broad variety of media to explore religious, familial and spiritual ties to her upbringing in Mexico.
In her exhibition, Talismán, Hernández drew on her upbringing in Mexico split between the rigid structure of the Catholic Church and the spiritual influence of her grandmother’s faith in Marian Trinitarian Spiritism. Many of the visual elements, both archival and autobiographical, were influenced by milagros: small metal charms used to seek guidance, help or protection from saints. Hernández adopts the idea of milagros by creating her own talismans that resonate with viewers regardless of their faith.
The exploration of these forms, and the visual vocabulary of Hernández’s own personal set of milagros, continues in her mural at SFMOMA: Conjuro para la sanación de nuestro futuro (A spell for the healing of our future). On display in the third-floor landing of the museum, the mural is meant to be a “collective call to community.” Created during a time when fire and public health crises ravaged California, the mix of Spanish text and milagros imagery alludes to the strength of community support and hope for fundamental societal change. In the top right corner, the mural reads: De Luto por nuestro viejo mundo pero con la esperanza de crear uno mejor (Grieving our old world, but with hope of creating a better one). With this statement, Hernández recognizes the pain of a difficult year and of many generations adaptating to new lifestyles, while concurrently welcoming dreams of a brighter future.
Images courtesy of Katherine Du Tiel for SFMOMA
Hernández will present new work in an upcoming group exhibition at pt.2 Gallery in April 2021. Her current studio practices draw inspiration from both milagros and a story called Talismán, a tale of magical realism written by Hernández. Using acrylic and ceramic wash on paper, Hernández continues her practice of material exploration to guide content. Just as her ceramics in Talismán offered a new venture to explore the archival ability of three dimensional artworks, Hernández’s drawing alludes to further insight in her archiving of both the past and present.
Liz Hernández (b. 1993) is a Mexican artist based in Oakland who works primarily with topics related to her upbringing. Inspired by the magical realism movement in Latin America, she uses imagery from memories of living in Mexico City, adopting supernatural elements and symbolism to address modern-life subjects. Hernández’s practice focuses on painting and sculpture, and most recently, murals. She has exhibited work in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, and Mexico City.