Michael Menchaca

Born in 1985 in San Antonio, Menchaca received his BFA from Texas State University in 2011, and his MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2015. He has been an Artist-in-Residence at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture (ME), Vermont Studio Center (VT), The Wassaic Project (NY), Studios at MASS MoCA (MA), among others. He was a Visual Arts Fellow at the Fine Arts Work Center from 2015 - 2016 in Provincetown, MA, and is a recipient of the 2019 National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures (NALAC) Fund for the Arts Grant. From 2019 — 2020, he is traveling across the U.S. co-curating the New York/San Antonio exhibition titled Xicanx: New Visions with Suzy González. Menchaca currently lives and works in San Antonio, TX.

Michael Menchaca’s images utilize the framework of ancient Meso-American codices and European Bestiaries to preserve modern cultural events in an invented mythology. His personalized index of animal archetypes tell stories of class inequality, civil rights cases, and the distribution of privileges within the Americas. Narrative pattern designs influenced by multiple cultural histories set the stage for Menchaca's compositions; while recurring motifs encourage various interpretations. He exhibits his work in immersive installations that apply a combination of printmaking, painting, and digital animation; expressing what it means to be LatinX in 21st century America.

Learn more about Michael at Michaelmenchca.com