This month our featured artist is Luis Jiménez.
He will be joined by author Magdianamy Carrillo, who will have her book Between Letters and Scars available.
Music provided by Influence Music Hall
Luis Jiménez is a pyrographer who works with wood, resin, and mixed media. Originally from San Juan, Puerto Rico, he grew up surrounded by color, culture, and symbolism. With endless festivals and street parties, Jiménez was immersed in a beautiful and colorful Caribbean environment, with stunning historical buildings and street murals plastered on everything from bridges to parking spaces. Puerto Rico is steeped in rich indigenous Tainos, Spanish, and African-influenced traditions, and Pyrography is part of those traditions. Pyrography, or Pyrogravure, involves heating metal tools to burn designs into wood surfaces. The word Pyrogravure literally translates to ‘writing with fire’. Throughout his life, Jiménez has held diverse positions, including working for the University of Puerto Rico, from where he retired. Years later, he picked up his creative passions and began exploring the unique skills involved in pyrography. Rediscovering the love and passion for ancestral arts, Jiménez began incorporating symbolic and cultural elements to connect spiritually with his viewers. Jiménez is an artist who believes in the self-realization of being. He has a special connection with meditation, which he feels guides his creative process. Blending a distinct personal style with hints of eccentricity, the pieces pay homage to his ancestors and homeland traditions.
