Justin Favela
MEDIATORS
© Justin Favela, photo by Mikayla Whitmore.
In his practice, Justin Favela reclaims the piñata as a symbol of Latine identity while spoofing the art historical canon that has prioritized white artists for centuries. The festive visual language of the piñata spreads onto unexpected objects and across walls to create immersive installations that celebrate Chicano culture and Favela’s Central American heritage. His fringed works range in scale from still-life paintings to life-size lowriders. Favela’s tapestries and site-specific installations are color- ful, sweeping landscapes at a distance but become distorted and abstracted upon closer inspection, drawing attention to their piñata-like composition. The iconic party decoration, often shaped like popular figures in television and other media, also serves as an archive of what is popular.
With his chosen subject matter, Favela expands the concept of American pop culture beyond the borders of the United States and establishes a dialogue between the lowbrow and highbrow. Traditional piñatas become more valu- able once the rewards they hold inside spill, yet despite Favela using the same cheap and accessible materials as the traditional versions—cardboard and tissue paper—the context and scale of Favela’s work are impossible to ignore, provoking consideration of their imagery and its cultural significance.
B. 1986, Las Vegas, NV
Lives and works in Las Vegas, NV
WW87
Justin Favela, Valle de México Desde el Tepeyac, After José María Velasco (1908), 2024, Paper, blue, and board. Courtesy of the artist and David Smith Gallery, photo by R & Company.