Artist Bio
Artist Biography
Alejandro Augustine Padilla is a self-taught multidisciplinary artist whose work is rooted in the Surrealist ideals of the subconscious and the scientific exploration of a fixed reality. Padilla's introspective work delves into the positive and negative effects of past trauma on his creative practice creating a pantheon of characters reframing traumatic experiences.
Ranging from energetic ink drawings and meticulous oil paintings to inventive assemblages, Padilla's work is an honest documentation of the feverish force to create and balance his mental state. This can particularly be seen in the tension of line work and his ironic use of vibrant colors onto darker subject matter.
Padilla has exhibited in numerous solo and group exhibitions throughout San Antonio and the Southwest. In addition to his full-time artistic practice, Padilla has run multiple exhibition spaces where he frequently exhibited the work of emerging San Antonio artists.
Artist Statement
My artistic journey is deeply intertwined with the profound exploration of consciousness and reality, ignited by Dr. Donald Hoffman's groundbreaking work in The Case Against Reality. Hoffman's assertion that human perceptions are molded by evolutionary fitness, rather than mirroring objective reality, resonates deeply with my artistic vision. I challenge the notion of a fixed reality, advocating instead for the dynamic and subjective nature of our experiences, constantly in flux.
In my creative process, I draw upon Hoffman's insights, employing a method I've termed 'subjective casting' to transform traumatic experiences into symbols that I can navigate and reclaim control over. This transformative process not only allows for emotional catharsis but also paves the way towards a newfound understanding and closure.
Through 'subjective casting,' my work manifests as a deeply introspective exploration, delving into the complexities of ingrained emotions, theories of everything, cultural dynamics, and mental health issues. These themes are conveyed through symbolic language and emotional resonance, inviting viewers to partake in a shared journey of understanding and empathy. By bridging the gap between subjective experience and shared humanity, my artworks serve as a conduit for connection and mutual comprehension in a world where reality is anything but fixed.
Exhibitions
PAST SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2023 Invisible College, SMART Gallery, San Antonio, TX
2022 New Work, 1906 Warehouse, San Antonio, TX
2021 New Old Stock, Not4You Gallery, San Antonio, TX
2020 Solo Exhibition, SMART Art Gallery, San Antonio, TX (Canceled due to covid-19)
2019 Medica/Ex Medica, Studio Fantomas, San Antonio, TX
2019 Rx Construct, 1906 Gallery, San Antonio, TX
2018 Medica/Ex Medica, Studio Fantomas, San Antonio, TX
2017 Alejandro Augustine Padilla: New Work, Studio Fantomas, San Antonio, TX
2016 My New Haunt, Studio Fantomas, San Antonio, TX
2016 Launder Ur Ghosts 'Nuff, Freight Gallery and Studios, San Antonio TX
2015 Me, Galileo Orbiter, Galileo Orbiter and I, Studio Fantomas, San Antonio, TX
2014 Launder Your Ghosts, Studio Fantomas, San Antonio, TX
2013 The Life Perverse, Bihl Haus Arts, San Antonio, TX
2011 The Art of Alejandro Augustine Padilla, Melinda Martinez Studio, San Antonio, TX
2011 Paroxysms of Unintelligibilities, Mitos Gallery, San Antonio, TX
2009 Humanness Thereafter, Gallista Gallery, San Antonio, TX
2008 Sanctified Science/Theoretical Sacrament, Mitos Gallery, San Antonio, TX
2008 10458, Mitos Gallery, San Antonio, TX
2007 The Next Beautiful Aquarium, El Sol Studio, San Antonio, TX
2006 &s + @s, Jump-Start Performance Co. Gallery, San Antonio, TX
PAST GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2023 The S Show, Not For You Gallery, San Antonio, TX
2022 N4U Alumni Exhibition, Not For You Gallery, San Antonio, TX
2017 Art to the Power of Ten, The McNay Art Museum, San Antonio, TX
2017 Isocyantas/Polypl/Amine Actalysts, Studio Fantomas, San Antonio, TX
2017 CAM Perennial: Reflections on Landscapes and Memory, Southwest School of Art,
San Antonio, TX (curated by Chris Ingalls)
2016 New Imagist in the Southwest, Center for Contemporary Arts, San Fe, NM, (jurors Meg Linton and Angie Rizzo)
Dreamers and Realists, Ruiz-Healy Art, San Antonio, TX, (curated by Jesse Amado)
March Group Exhibition, Concrete Exhibition Space, San Antonio, TX
2015 Nature on the Edge: Mutation and Hybridity in 21st Century Art, Bihl Haus Arts, SA,TX
God is Not Pleased, Clamp Light Gallery, San Antonio, TX
2014 No Money, No Problems, Smart Project Space, San Antonio, TX
Pop Yo Trunk, Plaza Guadalupe, San Antonio, TX
Be Bloody, Bold, and Resolute, Melinda Martinez Studio, San Antonio, TX
Bloodwork, Gallista Gallery, San Antonio, TX
2013 The Huevos Rancheros Gala, San Anto Cultural Arts, San Antonio, TX
Bloodwork II, Studio Fantomas, San Antonio, TX
2012 22nd Annual Red Dot Art Sale, Sponsor: David Rubin, Blue Star Contemporary Art Center
2011 Blood Work, SMART Art Gallery, San Antonio, TX
Fall Group Show, Mitos Gallery, San Antonio, TX
The Monster Show, Melinda Martinez Studio, San Antonio, TX
2010 M4 Studio Group Show, M4 Studio, San Antonio, TX
One For The Road, Gallista Gallery, Contemporary Art Month, San Antonio, TX
2009 Paper Bullets, One9Zero6 Gallery, San Antonio, TX
LOVE/SICK II, Gallista Gallery, San Antonio, TX
2008 From SoCal to SoFlo, Gallista Gallery, San Antonio, TX
2007 The First Annual International Burro Art Exhibit, Gallista Gallery, San Antonio, TX
LOVE/SICK, Gallista Gallery, San Antonio, TX
2006 Art Alive, Memorial Branch Library, San Antonio, TX
Artist Bibliography
Voyage San Antonio, "Daily Inspiration: Meet Alejandro Augustine Padilla," February 2023.
The Creative Connection Podcast, "The Cursed Interview," January 2022.
Iris Gonzalez, “San Antonio’s Latino Artists to Watch in 2016,” The Rivard Report, January 2, 2016.
David S. Rubin, Nature on the Edge: Mutation and Hybridity in 21st Century Art, Exhibition Catalogue, San Antonio: Bihl Haus Arts, 2015.
Bryan Rindfuss, “The Must-See, Must-Do Events of the Week,” The San Antonio Current, March 2014.
Tami Kegley, “Better than Ever: On and Fred Studio Tour,” The Rivard Report, February 2014
Sarah Fisch, “Art is (Not) Dead: How Not to Starve as San Antonio Artist,” The San Antonio
Current, February 5, 2014.
“Museums and Art Centers Offer Incredible Exhibitions for the New Year,” On the Town E-zine, January/February 2014.
Roberto Ontiveros, “Humanely Perverse: Alejandro Augustine Padilla at the Bihl Haus,” The San Antonio Current, December 23, 2013.“
Critic's Pick: Blood Work,” The San Antonio Current, November 2011.
“Xochitl Contemporary Art,” S.A. Fotoseptiembre Blog, September 2008.
