Imagine Mexican paintings, low-riders, and nachos transformed into piñata-looking sculptures. It may seem a bit odd, but the actual result is quite fantastic.
Justin Favela creates colorful artworks that are focused around his identity and self-exploration as queer Latino-American artist living in the Southwest. Justin uses piñata to present his Mexican and Guatemalan heritage and explore elements which are associated with his family, pop culture, food dishes, and the art world.
The sculptures are a great example of using many details in order to add much-needed distinctive feeling to his work. The sculptures offer a very witty presentation of a complex set of social themes which all merge into a unique expression of the individuals’ very own understanding of them.
Favela is using the piñata as a medium because it’s a perfect symbol that stands for his identity, and by using it, he reclaims the piñata and the whole culture it represents. One of Favela’s large-scale low-rider piñatas was recently included in the Peterson Automotive Museum’s exhibition.
