DVAA Member since 2021

LEMUS (José Lemus)

About:

I am LEMUS (José Lemus) an interdisciplinary artist, draftsman, and educator. I divide my artistic practice into two practices; community base artist and studio art practice. The studio practice is deep-rooted in drawing and the work is composed from classical train techniques and experimental processes. The work transcends our notion of the real world to depict the surreal. As a surrealist, I explore the subconscious and memory, to connect me to my ancestral roots of pre-hispanic america.
I obtain my BFA in drawing from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) in 2020. I showed a series, The Beauty of Chaos: Expulsion from Paradise at PAFA’s 2020 ASE Exhibition. The work consisted of large drawings and experimental drawing techniques and materials. I have exhibited artwork in California and Philadelphia that explore my latinx experience. In my community art practice I work with the Latinx community of South Philadelphia as an art facilitator. Two projects that I have participated in have further developed my love for my community and the ability to help develop art projects. Currently, I am working two projects with the Latinx community of South Philly, one which is currently exhibiting at PAFA titled “Taller de Superheroes” (exhibit ends Jan 2, 2022) and the second in development as a 3-year project with the arts and culture program from Puentes De Salud, a non-profit organization that helps the migrant community of philadelphia.

Artist Statement:

The work that I create focuses on mark making and the line. I have chosen drawing as my focus of concentration, because for me it is the only artform that truly captures the essence of imagination and memory. Drawing presents those moments genuinely through controlled and uncontrolled mark making and design. Like life, we are formed from experiences, some that we are conscious to create, and others not so much, but they leave a mark and it will never be completely erased, they will linger forever.
I am a surrealist artist, who uses the human figure as a source of creativity to express emotions, memories, ideas, and the spiritual connections that I have with my ancestors. The freedom of drawing provides many forms that are created in an automatic way and in a subconscious manner. I also use symbolism in my work, which can take the forms of animals, masks, flowers, etc. to represent states of mind or emotions. The drawings are also an exploration of materials, since I experiment with materials to create my ideas and bring them to life. In connection to my pre-hispanic ancestry, I also explore and analyze the aesthetics that are present and lost due to colonization. I want to reclaim our ancestral art aesthetics and show a contrast of differences with the western art aesthetics.