Noel Hernandez artist zapotec

Primera Bienal Nacional de Artes Gráficas Shinzaburo Takeda
I would like to share with you the most compelling story from the jury process for this exhibition.
It was the first place selection. By unanimous vote, this work was recognized as the first place winner in the etching category, and was done by a young Oaxacan man, aged 24, titled “Luo curuxui quee cris toó (Christ on the Cross)”. It was a feat to put in relief the nature of this First Biennial of the National Graphic Arts Shinzaburo Takeda in a symbolic way. The works were fresh and surprising. Among the many works that use textured effects and prints in multiple colors this piece creates an artistic world with its own life, and alights, with its thin lines and dots so small they almost disappear, expressed through the direct technique of drawing on metal. We could evaluate this work in the following way: the technique is under the artist’s perfect control, done with acute intelligence. The work responds, with honesty and naturalness, to what one expects from art. It is a candid protest that can be summed up in a single word: “sincerity.” Because of this, the work achieves a life as art, and produced a strong impression on all of the jurors. In addition, the fact that the work was chosen by the panel has another impact, because we want to say “that’s enough” to the tendency toward creating excessively “decorative” graphic contemporary arts. We believe it is necessary to return to the heart of art. This work could promote a return to art’s original spirit. SHINZABURO TAKEDA

4 jurors qualifiers:
Ms. Patricia Mendoza, Director of the Graphic Arts Institute of Oaxaca,
Maestro. Juan Carlos Pereda, curator of the Museum of International Contemporary Art "Rufino Tamayo"
Mr. Fujio Mukoyama, curator of the Yamanashi Prefectural Museum of Art, Japan, and Shinzaburo Takeda.
http://bienaltakeda.com/1bc_j.html

Isabel Avila

Isabel Avila, 'Noel Hernandez, Artist (Zapotec) Los Angeles, CA', Lightjet Archival C-Prints.,2012  

©Courtesy of the Artist and Vincent Price Art Museum

                    photography

Juan Carlos Pereda, curator of the Museum of International Contemporary Art "Rufino Tamayo"

The need to create spaces for artists to express themselves continues to be one of the most pressing and important work of institutions. The creation of a biennial for graphic artists is critical for the emergence of new talents that otherwise might take time to be recognized and have their work appreciated by the broader public. This is the case for young Oaxaca artist Noel Vargas Hernandez. He is a young and fresh artist with surprising talent who has created some pieces that reveal the importance of this type of event. His print, “Luó curuxui quee Cris Toó” (Christ on the Cross, Zapotec), is a unique work with great force of expression. It also has an almost archaic beauty and a sincere and thoughtful immediacy, filtering the best of contemporary art through his sensibility and expressing it with a drawing almost in the style of street graffiti but filled with knowledge that surely comes from seeing master works like those of Francisco Toledo. Noel Vargas has distinguished himself among all the other works with his originality, beauty, perfect technique and his contribution to the graphic world. Together his work in this first Biennial Shinzaburo Takeda Exhibition demonstrates the amplitude, excellence, strength and inventiveness that define the prestige and history of graphic arts in Mexico.

PARA EL joven grabador oaxaqueño Noel Vargas Hernández, resulto ganador de la Primera Bienal Nacional ‘Shinzaburo Takeda’. Él es integrante del taller de grabado del artista plástico Damián Flores.

Vidad Pineda Vásquez

PARA EL joven grabador oaxaqueño Noel Vargas Hernández, ganador de la Primera Bienal Nacional ‘Shinzaburo Takeda’, lo más importante que uno debe hacer, "es demostrar quien eres sin importar lo que los demás piensen, yo estoy seguro de lo que estoy haciendo y eso lo importante",

El joven originario de la comunidad de Los Abejones en la Sierra Juárez, obtuvo este primer lugar gracias a su grabado titulado "Luo curuxui quee cris toó". Consiente de que un premio no lo da todo, señaló que en Oaxaca los espacios para expresión artísticas son muy difíciles de conseguir, sin embargo, apunto que "es uno quien debe abrirse camino y buscar lugares para demostrar lo que eres".

Acerca de este premio, el joven zapoteca señaló, "me da gusto que existan personas que aprecien lo que hago y me siento contento que a la gente le guste". Sobre el trabajo ganador, ‘cristo en la cruz ‘, menciono que representa el transito de una persona en el momento que muere, "la persona queda suelta, en la vida siempre hay movimientos y eso se refleja en las cosas que diariamente hacemos, y finalmente cuando morimos, solo nos quedamos como calaveras, sin nada".

Afirmo que su religion fue lo que lo condujo a representar esta etapa de transición existencial, sin embargo, a diferencia de otras, afirmo que esta obra no fue realizada precisamente para esta bienal, ya que "no me gusta hacer las cosas por encargo, yo hago las cosas impulsado por el sentimiento que siento en algún momento, cuando me nace crear".

Integrante de taller de grabado del artista plástico Damián Flores, el joven ganador menciono que en nuestro estado, el grabado es muy tradicional.

Por otro lado, cabe señalar que esta bienal nacional dedicado al honor al Maestro Shinzaburo Takeda, logro reunir más de 270 participantes de distintas partes de México.