Omar Velázquez
Born in Isabela, PR, 1984. Currently living and working in Chicago.
DESCRIPTION
Omar Velázquez story is very interesting. He started studying music in the School of Music in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, using the saxophone as his primary instrument. He felt the classes where boring and at the end, created the complete melody by ear without studying the notes. Time passed and he applied for Architecture School and was not admitted. Instead he was admitted to the Humanities Department of the University of Puerto Rico, concentration on engraving. This was his first connection with arts and he liked it. Then he started doing sculptures by the guide of some of his professors and began perfecting his skills.
His first expo at Galería Guatibirí in Río Piedras (Desde La Cuneta, 2009), exposed the crude reality of the street (people without home, improvised shelters, etc.) and how we, "the outsiders", respond to this. Today he is one of Puerto Rico's emerging artists that is currently preserving the culture of engraving that gave the island an impressive reputation in the 50's, with artists like Lorenzo Homar, Carlos Raquel Rivera and Rafael Tufiño.
Omar Velázquez work (paintings, engravings, silkscreens) focus on society, abandoned spaces (beauty?) and the apathy of the government, the cultural notions of how we manage waste disposal, and the utilization of waste for making art. As always, music (punk bands, rock) is his "behind the scenes amulet" elevating his masterpieces.
EDUCATION
2016
MFA Painting and Drawing, School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Chicago IL.
2008
BA in Arts, concentration in engraving. University Of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2015
Me and the devil blues. The Packing Plant, Nashville TN.
Pariah. Beca Lexus Recipient Work Presentation. Museo De Arte De Puerto Rico.
2013
Undo. Galería de Arte, Universidad del Sagrado Corazón. San Juan, Puerto Rico.
TRASH, Trailer Park Projects, Institute of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture. Chicago, Illinois, USA.
2012
TRASH, Recinto Cerra Independent Space, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
2011
“al borde…” Museum of Contemporary Art Puerto Rico.
‘We Love Garbage’ Rica The Gallery (RIP), San Juan PR.
SELECTED COLLECTIVE EXHIBITIONS
2018
What did Dinosaurs Taste like? It Tastes Like Pollo Frito. Shane Campbell Gallery. Chicago, IL.
2017
Bouquet. New Works by Liana Finck and Omar Velázquez. Produce Model Gallery. Chicago, Illinois.
2016
La Víspera del Hambre. Gallery Km 0.2. Santurce, Puerto Rico.
Material. National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture, Chicago.
2015
Frescos: ciudadanos de Ninguna Parte (5 años después). Galería Arte Universidad Sagrado Corazón. San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Air Conditioned by Satan. Curated by Hector Madera. Artlab, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
De Madre. Galería Espacio 304.
2014
Renuncias y Adopciones, Antiguo Arsenal de la Marina Española, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
2013
Muestra Nacional de Arte, Antiguo Arsenal de la Marina Española, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Solista… pero no solo, Espacio 304, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Los Muros Hablan, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
SWAB Barcelona 2013, Tasart, FIRA, Barcelona, España.,
2012
Concrete Ilusions, Villa Victoria Centre for the Arts, Boston, Massachusetts, Estados Unidos.
(e)merge Art Fair, Washington DC, Estados Unidos.
Trienal Poli-Grafica de San Juan, América Latina y el Caribe, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Scope Art Fair, Nueva York, Estados Unidos.
2011
El punto: a drawing exhibition, CartWatch, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Carry on: Puerto Rico inspected, Villa Victoria Center for the Arts, Boston, Massachusetts, Estados Unidos.
Santurce es Ley, Union de Arte Independiente, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Zona MACO, México.
2010
Serie Regional Jugadores Pampers, Segundo Proyecto, Antiguo Arsenal de la Marina Española, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Valoarte. Arte+Mercado+Obra Social, Centro de las artes y la tecnología, La Aduana, Costa Rica.
2009
Muestra Nacional de Arte, Antiguo Arsenal de la Marina Española, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
International Call for Young Artists 09, Galería Luis Adelantado, Valencia, España.
Trienal Poli-Grafica de San Juan, América Latina y el Caribe, Antiguo Arsenal de la Marina Española, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Object to Object, Circa Labs, Centro de Convenciones de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
2008
SCOPE Art Fair, Miami Art District, Miami, Florida, Estados Unidos.
Poligrafías 08, Presentación de proyectos Gráficos contemporáneos, Sala Nacional de las Artes, Colombia.
DLL: Después Del Llanto, Galería Guatíbiri, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2007
35th Yokosuka Peace Art Exhibition, Kanagawa, Japón
5th Triennial of Graphic Art, Bitola, Macedonia.
PRIZES AND GRANTS
2014
Grant. Beca Lexus para Artistas, Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2012
Primer Premio en Dibujo. El Punto, CartWatch, Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2010
Mención Honorífica. Certamen de Arte Joven, Oriental Group, San Juan, Puerto Rico,
COLLECTIONS
Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Museo de Historia, Antropología y Arte, Universidad de Puerto Rico, Recinto de Río Piedras, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Museo de Arte Dr. Pío López Martínez, Universidad de Puerto Rico, Recinto de Cayey, Cayey, Puerto Rico.
Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico.