Miguel Martinez (b. 1991, Celaya, Guanajuato, Mexico) is a Brooklyn-based
interdisciplinary artist whose practice spans painting, sculpture, installation, and
murals. Drawing from the Catholic pageantry and religious rituals of his upbringing in
rural Mexico, Martinez creates symbolic, ritualistic imagery that queers inherited
cultural legacies. His work functions as a biomythography, where the figure—often
fragmented into votive, totemic forms—becomes a site for exploring the fluid
intersections of somatic interiority, queer phenomena, and the migrant experience.
Martinez’s methodology is rooted in a syncretic vision that migrates between
observational drawing and tantric abstractions of the transcendent. He often employs
a decorative materiality, transforming humble materials such as aluminum foil, glitter,
and inkjet prints through meticulous hand-craft to evoke an aspirational pathos of
yearning and optimism. Central to his recent work is the concept of tinieblas—a
Spanish term derived from catechism describing the abysmal emptiness before
creation—which he reimagines as recurring figurative characters embodying a
duality between cosmic infinity and personal history.
Martinez has been the subject of solo exhibitions at Tiger Strikes Asteroid NY, Grimm
Gallery, and Lawndale Art Center. His work has been included in group
presentations at Centro de Artes San Antonio, The Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural &
Educational Center, The Spite Haus, and Beverly’s.
The recipient of a Clare Hart DeGolyer Memorial Fund from the Dallas Museum of
Art and the Ruth Stanton Memorial Scholarship from Hunter College, Martinez
participated in the 2023 MAD54 Studio Residency. He holds an MFA from Hunter
College (2021) and a BFA from the University of Houston (2013).