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Claudio Aguillon was born in El Leoncito, San Luis Potosi, Mexico. He grew up in a small community in the mountains of central Mexico. It is there that he developed a love for nature and the work ethic of the people tending the land.
At the age of 13 he emigrated to the United States. He attended Southwest High School in San Antonio, TX and soon began to recognize his talent as an artist. After high school, Claudio enrolled at Palo Alto College where he received his associates degree and began painting murals in nearby businesses to help pay for his college tuition.
He then transferred to the University of Texas in Austin and received his Bachelor’s of Fine Arts. The youngest of 10 children, Claudio was the first in his family and only sibling to graduate from college. He not only became the example for all his nieces, nephews and cousins but also to extended family and friends whose parents normally worked in construction, food service, lawn care, and janitorial jobs. He continues to promote the importance of education to young people.
After graduation, he worked for seven years as an art educator at SAYSi, a non-profit arts organization serving San Antonio Youth. There he taught them about the art process but also about the business aspect of being a mural artist. Claudio also guided students through several mural community projects. Many times his former students have assisted him in his large commissioned mural projects.
He left the education profession to focus on his ... view more »
Work Samples (PDF)
MORE ABOUT THIS ARTIST
Artist Type: Visual Arts: Architectural Illustrator, Illustrator, Mixed Media Artist, Muralist, Painter; Children's book illustrator
Artist Style: Visual Art: Abstract, Dream Imagery/Ethereal, Expressionistic, Figurative, Illustrative, Landscape/Cityscape, Narrative/Historical, Nature/Wildlife, Non-Objective, Portraiture, Realism, Still Life
Artist Medium: Acrylic; Colored Pencil; Drawing Media; Oil; Watercolor
Artist Statement of Work
Tell us about your work (style, approach, philosophy, subject and/or theme):
My work is tied to the connection of earth and nature. In my art you will find that I possess a special sensitivity to capturing the textures and colors present in nature. When I am painting I am trying to retrieve memories from the variations in color of the rocks, the transitions in the leaves and the patterns of earth on the soil.
You can say that I have a special love for color. My murals are very vibrant but the colors are based on the subtleties found in nature. Very seldom do I paint in artificial/fluorescent colors or colors void of life. Even if I am painting the dark of night, I prefer to use purples, deep blues and reds to describe the experience.
Another important element that I like to implement in my art pieces is the use of built-up texture. This gives my work dimensionality. Upon close observation you will find hills & valleys, ruptures in the terrain, rivers and creeks. All this is formed by the play of brush strokes, scratches, removal and application of paint. My work is not flat as a printed billboard. My work is an expression of my soul. It has life. My inspiration for this texture made by acrylic paint is the Mexican artist David Alfaro Siqueiros. He was one of the first artists to use this medium and one of the most important muralists of the 20th Century.
I am equally influenced by the two other artists, Diego Rivera and Jose Clemente Orozco, who formed part of the Mexican Muralist Trio known as Los Tres Grandes. It is important to point out that they were hired by the Mexican Department of Education to paint murals in the federal buildings throughout the country. This was to teach the children in warp speed the history and values of Mexico in order to make up for the lost years of education as a result of being uprooted by the Mexican Revolution. Knowing this has profoundly taught me the power of imagery. Murals can be used as a teaching tool. Some people learn by hearing and others by seeing. I consider myself a conduit to pass along knowledge from my teachers, through me to my students. I feel fortunate to be able to impart education with my art.