ARTIST STATEMENT
Self-portraiture is an act of rebellion. The contemporary persona and indigenous self are juxtaposed in these intimate moments of discovery. Western ideals of beauty are challenged by my own vanity. Participating in the ostentatious lifestyle we immigrated for, while yearning for a life that does not police brown bodies builds narrative tension and social commentary. Notions of masculinity, identity, and solitude are explored through tender vulnerability. Prescribed anonymity of the lower-class existence is questioned, a life ironically symbolized by high visibility garments and accouterments of laborers that often populate my pictures. Castigated by guilt for participating in indigenous practice, Christian symbolism manifests impromptu throughout my work. Like a walking paradox, all my identities feverishly pull in opposing directions. The dirt beneath my feet remains the same, and still, I am lost.
BIO
Gerardo E. Silguero (1st Gen Mexican-American, b. 1994) is an interdisciplinary artist from the US/Mexico border city of Brownsville, Texas. His work challenges our perceptions of beauty, identity, and colonialism. His work has been exhibited internationally across the USA and Mexico. Silguero’s work is in the collections of the Mexic-Arte Museum, Austin, Texas; La Peña Gallery, Austin, Texas; among other institutions and private collections. Silguero received his BA from St. Edward’s University in Design and Art. He currently resides in Dallas, Texas.