Enrique Chagoya (born 1953) is a Mexican-born American painter, printmaker, and educator. The subject of his artwork is the changing nature of culture. He frequently uses shocking imagery, irony, and Mesoamerican icons to convey his point in his artwork. Chagoya teaches at Stanford University in the department of Art and Art History. He lives in San Francisco.

Biography

Enrique Chagoya was born in Mexico City in 1953. His father, who was a bank employee, was also an artist. This influence from a young age was instrumental in Chagoya's interest in pursuing art. He was partly raised by an Amerindian nurse who helped him to respect the indigenous people of his country and their history. He studied economics at the National Autonomous University of Mexico in Mexico City from 1971 to 1974. As a student, he was sent to work on rural development projects with a focus on economics, an experience that strengthened his interest in political and social activism. While attending a rural development program he married an American sociologist working on the same program, Jeanine Kramer. In 1977, Chagoya and his first wife Jeanine Kramer visited McAllen, Texas. In 1979, Chagoya immigrated to the United States to Berkeley, where he worked as a freelance illustrator and graphic designer. In 1984, he earned a BFA degree at the San Francisco Art Institute; and in 1987 a MFA degree at the University of California at Berkeley. He received the Stanford University's the Dean's Award in the Humanities in 1998. In 2000, Chagoya became a citizen of the United States. As of 2016, he was a full time professor in the department of Art and Art History at Stanford University.

Artwork

His controversial artwork "The Misadventures of the Romantic Cannibals", which portrays Jesus, and possibly other religious figures, in a context of ambiguous sexual content, is part of a ten-artist exhibit called "The Legend of Bud Shark and His Indelible Ink" which is on display in a city-run art museum in Loveland, Colorado. The copy on exhibit in Loveland, one of a limited edition of 30 lithographs, was destroyed by a woman wielding a crowbar on October 6, 2010. According to the artist the work is a commentary on the Catholic sex abuse cases. The woman is set to go to court on October 15, 2010. Another controversial artwork includes "The Enlightened Savage Guide to Economic Theory" (2009–10). This artwork includes imagery of murdered children, suspended from meat hooks, in a scene reminiscent of a butcher shop. In addition, this work includes two monstrous figures fighting, one with the head of George Washington and the other with the head of Saddam Hussein, referencing Middle Eastern conflicts over oil. This codex-inspired work is done on handmade amate paper. The use of cannibalism is shocking, but draw attention to present-day social issues such as cultural appropriation and the barbarism that often accompanies. He is well known for his codices, which draw inspiration from traditional Aztec/Mexica/Mayan codices from the precolonial era. Over the course of his career, he has created over 40 different codices. One example of his codices includes "El Popol Vuh de la Abuelita del Ahuizote" (The Community Book of King Ahuizote’s Granny), which was created in 2021. This work is inspired by the Popol Vuh, which has Mayan origins. Another example of his codex work includes "The New Codex Ytrebil", created in 2023. This version of the codex is inspired by the Aztec culture, specifically from 16th century books created under the direction of Catholic conquistadors. His work often includes political themes that are developed using subversion and wit to convey the message. One work that exemplifies this political leaning is “Detention at the Border of Language” (2023). This painting utilizes various effects, such as a visual glitch, pop culture figures, and historical abstract elements. The larger than life Mayan mask dominates the focal point of the piece, leading to a sense of dominance by indigenous culture over the painting. This painting depicts three Native Americans, who are in the process of abducting a feminine Donald Duck character. Donald Duck likely serves as an allusion to former President Donald Trump. The Native Americans are in a canoe named "Border Patrol". This is an inversion of the traditional understanding of Border Patrol and immigration, and creates a political statement.

Awards

In 2021, Chagoya was awarded the Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship. In 2021, Chagoya was entered into the National Academy of Design, NYC. He is the recipient of a Tiffany Fellowship.

Exhibitions

2019

2020

2021

2022

2024

Collections

• Santa Barbara Museum of Art • Honolulu Museum of Art • Los Angeles County Museum of Art • Metropolitan Museum of Art • di Rosa • Museum of Modern Art • National Museum of American Art • San Francisco Museum of Modern Art • Brooklyn Museum • New York Public Library • San Jose Museum of Art • Art Institute of Chicago • Arkansas Arts Center • Whitney Museum of American Art • Williams College Museum of Art • Crocker Art Museum • Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.