The Flour Massacre, Gaza, Feb. 29, 2024 Painting

I’ve been painting since my arrival to the United States in 1978, but it was not until 2018 when I retired from my day job that I was able to enjoy my studio on a full-time basis. Between intermittent commissioned works, I involved myself in continued figurative studies, attending local life-drawing sessions, exploring new mediums, and executing allegorical paintings that allow me to express my contemplations of the world, with some of my themes reminiscent of my birthplace El Salvador, and my grandparents' homeland, Palestine. Although oils are my primary medium, I love experimenting with a diverse set of mediums and styles. While my works are continually evolving in style and subject matter, the characters within my figurative works reflect a global community, as the human form occupies the central motif of most of my paintings, and within the figure, I give a voice to our humanity. My artworks reside in both private and public collections. Over the years, they have been exhibited and published extensively in the United States. Since 2020, it has been incredibly humbling to witness several of my pieces selected, published, and purchased internationally, spanning across the USA, Latin America, and Europe.