A native of southern California, Abel Aguirre started his career as a self-taught artist, drawing inspiration from the barrio art and surf side aesthetics around San Diego. He lived as an underground artist throughout the 80s and 90s before enlisting in the US Navy in 1999. 

In 2019, Abel retired from 20 years of military service and settled in San Antonio, Texas where he continued his unique style of colorful abstract and contemporary paintings influenced by his childhood in San Diego. He quickly became enchanted by the similarity of the San Antonio and San Diego culturas that he felt mirrored each other. He presents both places in his art through a compare and contrast to show how two geographically separated places remain tightly bound by the strength of culture. 

He is currently working on a senior exhibition as part of the Visual Arts and New Media undergraduate program at Our Lady of the Lake University. The public art exhibition will be a celebration of San Antonio’s West Side and the barrio's of San Diego.

After serving 20 years in the Navy, Abel thought that his barrio days in San Diego were far behind him. For Abel, the West Side represents a return to his Chicano roots and the art in his exhibition is his way of acknowledging his Chicanismo. 

Abel will be graduating from Our Lady of The Lake University in 2024 with a BA in Visual Arts and New Media.