Pepe Villegas

Being raised in Puerto Rico, "La Isla del Encanto" (The Enchanted Island) and seasoned in "The Big Apple" sculpted the path of my multidisciplinary artistry.

What began as a the fun of drawing, sketching and mapping floor plan inspired by my dad's engineering from an early age, led me to the University of Puerto Rico's School of Architecture in 1982. I attended a summer program at the Basilica Palladiana in Vicenza, Italy, an experience which planted the first seeds that would inspire the drive to embark on my artistic journey.

In 1987 I moved to New York City as a transfer student , graduated from the Pratt Institute with a degree in Architecture and joined the renowned firm of architect I.M Pei. My experiences at these levels would soon bring the realization that I had little interest in the corporate aspects of architecture as a business Eventually I relocated to Miami to work at a smaller firm in Coconut Grove at the beginning of the South Beach cultural & social revival.

I found a thriving and vibrant community, becoming friends with the late artist Felix Gonzalez-Torres, and fashion designer Thierry Mugler. This environment motivated a shift in direction of my creativity and self-expression.

A chance-in-a-life...

1987 School of Architecture, University of Puerto Rico

1985 Summer Italian Architecture Program, Basilica Palladiana in Vicenza, Italy

1989 Bachelor in Architecture, Pratt Institute School of Architecture, Brooklyn, NY

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2014 - “Critical Mass” Conde Contemporary, Miami, Florida
2012 - “It’s a Tweesty Bon Bon World” installation, Artsee in South Beach, Miami
2010 - “Folklorican” at Gallery Space at Wagner, NYU, New York, NY
2009 - “El Brio de una Epoca” at the Viota Gallery, San Juan, Puerto Rico 
2008 - “The Will of an Epoch” at the Charles Cowles Gallery, New York, NY
2007 - “Pepe Villegas at Brooklyn Artist Gym (BAG),” Brooklyn, NY - Multimedia exhibition
2007 - “Gallos at Casa Adela,” New York, NY Solo show. Paintings
2006 - “Closed Captioned” at Food Bar, New York, NY - Audiovisual with Donna D'Cruz.
2006 - “Memoria” at Artsee, New York, NY Photography
2006 - “Inner Beauty” at Symrise NY, New York, NY Photography
2005 - “Warrior” at the Starret-Lehigh Building, New York, NY - Collaboration with Donna D'Cruz.
2004 - “Unseen Flow” at Richard Pinabel, New York, NY - Video collaboration with Donna D'Cruz
2004 - “Pepe Villegas at La Taza de Oro,” New York, NY Paintings.
2004 - “I Choose To See Only With Eyes Of Love” at Karin Kohlberg Studio, New York, NY
2003 - “The Witness: Glimpses of the Manifest” at Food Bar, New York, NY Photography
1998 - “Cockfights” at Atelier 14, ...