Raul Pizarro
RAUL PIZARRO
ARTIST STATEMENT
I am a self-taught, Queer Latinx visual artist with muscular dystrophy. Born in Mexicali, Mexico, the third of four siblings, my family and I migrated to Southern California - the place that reared me and became home after the age of three. I grew up in the City of Pomona, a short stroll to Pomona’s Artist District.
My work bridges diverse themes and spans over 25 years; each piece of art emerges from experiences at the intersection of disability, lgbtq identity, race & ethnicity, family & community. I believe art needs to be reclaimed by our communities and embraced by the formal art world.
This bear based series is a search of what makes up our universe. Where our ideas are born and what paves the paths to enlightenment. The idea of heaven is, after all, based on earth. What drives earth's inhabitants impulse to search. This series is a study of the stars, our bodies and the world around us looking for the similarities that bind us.
I create my work with engineered modifications made to my power wheelchair and art studio by a collaboration with fab lab at Northrop Grumman. By creating an electric adjustable easel and an elevating chair system, I’ve been able to create pieces much larger than before.
Artist's Website