Enrique Chagoya 'Border Patrol On Acid' Print Available

Artist: Enrique Chagoya
Title: Border Patrol On Acid
Medium: Hand Painted Intaglio Etching Print
Size: 50.6 x 45.25 cm
Edition: 26
Price: $1,800

 

Born in 1953 in Mexico City, Enrique Chagoya is a Mexican American painter and printmaker whose work serves as a powerful bridge between diverse cultural histories and political realities. His early upbringing in Mexico provided a deep well of inspiration, as his father was an artist by night who taught him color theory and sketching while his indigenous nurse fostered a lifelong respect for pre-Columbian history. Although he initially studied political economy at the National Autonomous University of Mexico from 1971 to 1974, his creative drive was already evident through the political cartoons he contributed to student and union newsletters. After immigrating to the United States in 1979 and settling in Berkeley, Enrique Chagoya shifted his professional focus entirely toward the fine arts, eventually earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in printmaking from the San Francisco Art Institute in 1984 and a Master of Fine Arts from the University of California at Berkeley in 1987.

As a contemporary artist who skillfully navigates the tensions of the United States Mexico border, Enrique Chagoya has built a career defined by satirical brilliance and technical mastery. His significant accomplishments include receiving a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2021, two National Endowment for the Arts fellowships, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Southern Graphics Council International. These accolades reflect his unique ability to blend Western religious iconography, American pop culture, and Mesoamerican symbols to critique colonialism and global politics. His work is held in prestigious public collections, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, solidifying his status as a major figure in the world of limited edition prints and fine art posters.

The exhibition history for Enrique Chagoya is extensive, featuring major solo shows such as Borderlandia, a twenty five year survey organized by the Des Moines Art Center that traveled to the Berkeley Art Museum, and the 2013 retrospective Palimpsesto Canibal at Artium in Spain. He has also been featured at the Legion of Honor Museum and the George Adams Gallery in New York, which represents much of his printed output. Collector interest remains high for his intricate codices and prints, which often utilize amate paper to mirror ancient traditions. Notable pieces that define his oeuvre include Their Freedom of Expression... The Recovery of Their Economy, the Illegal Alien's Guide to Greater America, and the suite titled The Return to Goya's Caprichos. Other significant works like The Misadventures of the Romantic Cannibals and Border Patrol on Acid continue to be highly sought after by those focusing on narrative and socio-political printmaking.