Constructions made of fabric and wires were strewn together in harmonic prose. Words flowed in stylized letterings with integration of life from the past. The lighting under the sculptures conjured a sense of light peering over gray clouds of tears. A painting portrayed a sense of longing and acceptance between life and death with a maternal portraiture. It was a display of beauty in physicality, emotionality, and individuality.
On Feb. 16 – 20, students were able to admire sculptures in the Fine Arts Building at NEIU. The exhibit was called “Sculptural Graffiti” created by Jesus “Azteca” Sanchez. Jesus’s senior exhibit displayed vibrant colors and idiosyncratic efficacy while incorporating his soul.
Jesus grew up in a neighborhood of gangs in a constant war between skin colors. The war between the gangs consisted of violence and harassment. In order for Jesus to tolerate the environment and distance himself away from gangs, he began to utilize his creativity in rapping, break dancing, and graffiti. By his positive actions, he earned respect from the gang population for his talents and views. “Gang members would stop me on the street to mug or attack me,” stated Jesus. However, by displaying his artistic talents, members encouraged him to promote his skills.
Eventually, Jesus was matriculated into NEIU and found a great interest in sculpture with Professor Xu and painting with Professor Vaca. professor Xu influenced and pushed him to promote his graffiti background, which led Sanchez to create words from wood. Both professors exposed him to new materials, methodology and wondrous influence for his artistry. From there, he began to associate 2-D and 3-D with his past, leading to “Sculptural Graffiti”.
Sanchez and professor Xu actually had an argument over the title of his exhibit. Professor Xu wanted to title it, “Sculptural Calligraphy” to help him open more doors to the art world, but Sanchez decided to title it “Sculptural Graffiti.” “Graffiti is in my heart so I couldn’t betray myself,” Sanchez denotes.
One of his pieces, “Boom Box,” was influenced by his musicianship. “Boom” and “Box” were placed as speakers and a stereo was placed underneath. It seemed as if the music in the background was coming from the speakers itself.
His symbol as an artist was displayed in the middle of the room as a sculpture in the round. Basically, it could be admired from any angle.
“Azteca” in red fabric presented his artistic name in a graceful manner in front of blue and white trapezoidal shapes.
His nickname “Azteca” derived from his past interactions with his cousin. He would call his cousin an indigenous title, as his cousin would play basketball with sandals. Eventually, his cousin started to call him “Azteca”. Also, it was a unique name that no one could make as their own. Sanchez is proud of his indigenous culture. “Indigenous people are still here, living and just as intelligent as our colonial counterparts,” Sanchez comments.
Another great influence was his mother. Unfortunately, his mother died of cancer in 2006. However, it greatly affected his meaning in his art. “Live” was a powerful piece in yellow and white fabrics behind a direct lighted background. “People tend to get stuck with death. I’ve gone through the mourning process, but by the end of the day I’ve learned to live,” explains Sanchez. Jesus had used his mother’s sewing machine to sew his fabrics for his exhibit. He had to teach himself to use the machine. He dealt with learning how to use the machine despite the difficulty that came with it because, “By using my mother’s sewing machine, I felt as though it was a collaboration project,” Sanchez responded. It was a telling to keep on living and to fulfill his passion for art.
“Structural Graffiti” took three years to complete. Sanchez exclaims, “Each sculpture took three months to finish”.
Aside from being an artist, Sanchez also works as an Academic Coordinator for Chicago Public Schools. Sanchez commented saying, “It’s a great feeling to influence the youth in a positive way.” He went on to add, “However, it’s difficult to balance between professional life and artistic life.”
Despite the difficulties Jesus “Azteca” Sanchez has faced, his positive views on life and in people has brought him to a brighter future. May he bring his positive influence to the people to create outlets of positive change.