Skip to Content
Art

The Art of Abel Alejandre

12:05 PM PDT on September 23, 2015

Abel Alejandre lives and works in Los Angeles. His latest project is a "Clown Trump Print," the proceeds of which will be donated to the Bernie Sanders campaign. You can buy one here. Please keep reading for a selection of our favorite work (drawing, painting, and printmaking) from this artist along with a statement taken from his website.

abeldonald
Alejandre-Entrale
Alejandre-Reallyagain-675x674

Artist's Statement:

My family and I immigrated to Los Angeles in 1975 from Apatzingan, Michoacan, Mexico. This experience – that of leaving one land for another, having to constantly redefine what it means to be a person, a man, a part of a community – is a central theme of my work. The ideas of love, desire, and identity are constants, consuming me and dictating both the form and the content of what I create.

Most of my work is graphite on paper, canvas or wood. Creating a new piece is a labor-intensive process that can take hundreds of pencils and or graphite leads, and up to hundreds hours to complete.

As a base for my drawings I apply multiple layers of gesso with thick bristles, to leave behind the relief of brush strokes. After every layer I gently sand down the surface, a process that leaves behind tiny grooves like those of corduroy fabric. This resulting layer creates a nuanced, interwoven texture that serves as a base for the steps to come.

I prefer to isolate my subjects on the surface, much like a string of islands adrift in a vast ocean. My subjects then receive several layers of flowing cross-hatching. Calculated lines that dance with the fluidity of wet paint create the illusion of depth, or realism.

My drawings are like a personal journal, cataloging past insecurities, insults, and painful memories. Each piece is like an oversized blanket that is, by turns, comforting but almost suffocating. But for those willing to dig deeper, my art serves as an optimistic roadmap that depicts the intimate, honest struggle against hatred and betrayal – a struggle that ultimately leads to salvation and redemption.

Abel Alejandre on Facebook.

Alejandre-Taleof2birds-551x900
Alejandre-Putem-up
Alejandre-Street-Fighter-675x344
Alejandre-Waitingforsavior-675x548
Alejandre-Tellmesomethingnew-675x675
Alejandre-Ill-Take-A-Chance-675x675
DSCF0083
DSCF0098-700x552
tumblr_nrwmw4FL351sk1y7do1_1280
My-Fathers
Mascaras800px-700x389
Los-Mors
Fearless-Mother-700x422
orig_Reyes_are_coming
Without-Direction-e1372959268712-700x493
1495
Architect-635x900
Noche-Calavera-685x900
protected-485x900
bush
Stanford
Elmitote-700x559
Already a user?Log in

Thanks for reading!

Register to continue

Become a Member

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from L.A. TACO

FBI, ATF, and LAPD Announce Crack Down on Drugs, Ghost Guns, and Crime Linked to Cartels in Harbor Area

The multi-agency investigation, which found the criminal activities stretching to associates in two counties in Northern California, yielded a total of 27 arrests, 30 firearms, 72,115 fentanyl pills, 1.7 pounds of fentanyl powder, 143 pounds of methamphetamine, 4.7 pounds of heroin, 1.9 pounds of cocaine, 1.7 of pounds PCP, and $44,000.

October 3, 2023

Exclusive: Top Film & TV Studios Spent Over $660 Billion on Stock Buybacks While Actors and Writers Live ‘Paycheck to Paycheck’

According to economist William Lazonick stock repurchasers like Apple could certainly use the tens of billions that they spend on buybacks to pay actors and screenwriters more. “The fact [is] they’re not paying them more,” and instead they’re making the rich richer.

October 3, 2023

Spot Check! Caviar Cakes, Champurrado Pot de Creme, Tamal Ice Cream, and Free Elote From Becky G

You can also party with L.A.'s first Black women-owned dispensary, enjoy a Lebanese legend past midnight, and pair quesabirrias with funnel cakes.

September 29, 2023

The Seven Best Tacos Along Metro’s K Line, From Crenshaw to Inglewood

The K Line is Metro's newest light rail line that cruises through the heart of Black Los Angeles, from Nipsey Square to Leimert Park. The taco scene along this route is all about hustle, featuring some of the cities must under-the-radar community gems like a historic L.A. taquería with a killer red salsa, lightly crunchy "enchilada tacos," and so much more. Next stop: flavor.

September 29, 2023
See all posts