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| José de Jesús Hernández, Mariposa Folklorica (detail), 2017, terrazzo tile, image size: 42 x 42 in., credit: © José de Jesús Hernández, courtesy of the artist |
José de Jesús Hernández (b. 1992) is a recent graduate from the University of Nebraska Omaha [UNO] earning his Bachelor of Arts in Studio Arts in 2017. Fascinated with the graphic qualities of Art Nouveau, the severity of Minimalism, and the aesthetics of 20th century poster design, he pursued his degree with a graphic design concentration. I interviewed Hernández recently and asked him questions about his cultural background and his artmaking philosophy.
Born in Anaheim, California to immigrant
parents from Mexico, Hernández grew up in a Hispanic household. Soon after his
birth, his family moved to Omaha, Nebraska, settling in the western
neighborhood of Millard. Anaheim and Millard could not be any more different.
Anaheim, being near the Mexico-United States border, has a significant Hispanic population. Millard,
on the other hand, epitomizes white suburbia.
Like many children of
first-generation immigrants, Hernández recalls not feeling welcome anywhere he
went. In Hispanic communities, this condition is colloquially referred to as “ni de aquí, ni de allá,”
or, “neither from here, nor from there.” Hernández says, “every place I have
ever been to has told me I have an accent… I’m too white or brown… [I’m] too
many things.”
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| José de Jesús Hernández, Frida's Senses, 2015, digital collage, credit: © José de Jesús Hernández, courtesy of the artist |
This emotional baggage comes out in his work. Hernández states “there is not one piece that doesn’t show my history, my beliefs, or myself in it.” An excellent example of this is his senior thesis. In it, he commemorates his father’s livelihood. For over two decades, his father has worked for a company specializing in terrazzo tiling named DeMarco Bros., Co. Hernández produced a large terrazzo tile depicting a woman dancing while wearing a monarch butterfly-patterned dress. Referring to Hernández’s cultural background, the butterfly symbolizes migration. Monarch butterflies traverse borders without a care, freely passing through Canada, the United States, and Mexico. Butterflies, in this sense, are free because they are not restrained by geopolitical conflicts.
His decision to major in studio art
did not go without familial criticism. Even though his parents are creatives
(his father often draws architectural studies and his mother sketches childhood
toys), they were hesitant when Hernández chose to major in studio art. This was
not a misguided judgement since art degrees don’t often secure financial stability. They encouraged him to choose a more pragmatic major instead. But Hernández, so unwavering, pursued his BA.
Currently, Hernández has an ongoing
project in which he photographs every bathroom he has ever been in. This study of human hygiene can be found on the Instagram account
@thedeanofthelatrine. Besides this photographic series, Hernández has submitted
his senior thesis to Arte LatinX, a juried biennial art exhibition organized by
UNO’s Office of Latino/Latin American Studies. This year, the show will be
hosted at El Museo Latino from September 12th to October 12th.
Interestingly, José de Jesús
Hernández is not fixed on being a graphic designer for the rest of his life. In
fact, he dreams of being a social anthropologist. He is interested in
discovering how other humans have lived and survived. Ultimately, he wants “for
others to learn, to question, and to come closer to the truth” with his art.
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| José de Jesús Hernández, credit: © José de Jesús Hernández, courtesy of the artist |
José de Jesús Hernández currently lives in Omaha, Nebraska.
His Instagram handle is:
@elfuntasma.
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