Herman Aguirre is a Mexican American artist born and raised in Chicago, were he continues to live and work. He received his BFA (2014) and MFA (2017) from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He currently teaches at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago as a youth instructor in the Continuing Studies Program and as part-time faculty in the Painting and Drawing Department. He was one of eight individuals to be awarded the Leonore Annenberg Fellowship for Performing and Visual Arts (2017). He is represented by Zolla/Lieberman Gallery (CHI) and Portrait Society Gallery (WI). His work has been exhibited in several art fairs, galleries, and institutions within the country and is also part of several museum’s permanent collections throughout the United States.

Aguirre explores subjects that are deep-rooted in the war on drugs and inner-city violence. Through a rigorous process, he tries to capture the visceral, visual, and psychological effects these issues have on his surroundings and its effects in his community. He uses experimental methods and traditional techniques to create labor intensive pieces that bridge the gap between painting and sculpture, incorporating architecture, image, texture, and symbolism as means capture the immediacy of these subjects. Aguirre uses his studio practice as way to combat, honor, protest, and mourn these subjects, allowing him to cope and co-exist with these realities.

Image: Herman Aguirre, ¡Ni uno mas!, 2023, Oil and oil/acrylic skins on panel, 63" x 98" x 4.5"