Mauro de la Tierra is a first generation Mexican American from San Antonio who is a self-taught
painter, sculptor, and illustrator. What began with street art has transitioned onto canvas and
beyond. With support from his community, and his mentor, Albert Gonzales, De la Tierra
became self-employed as a full-time artist in October 2017. De la Tierra considers himself
community-made and is community-driven. His work focuses on socio-economic challenges and
generational struggles such as the prison industrial complex, poverty, addiction, and the
deterioration of the earth. His work captures a side of life that is often vilified and ignored while
also making a statement of love for humanity. With the use of spray paint, acrylic paint, and oil
paint, De la Tierra creates heavy textures on canvas in a modern and raw style of whimsical and
surreal abstract expressionism. 

In the same year that De la Tierra launched himself into art full-time, he began leading and
collaborating with The Black Sheep Collective; a group of D.I.Y. misfit artist extraordinaires.
Together they have organized six pop-up gallery exhibitions and performances. De la Tierra’s
artwork has been shown in various news outlets, including La Prensa, Spectrum News, Texas
Public Radio and in art galleries including Mexican Cultural Institute, Mexic-Arte Museum,
and Presa House Gallery. De la Tierra has had five solo exhibitions, his fifth one being at
Territory Gallery. He was recently awarded an Individual Grant by the city of San Antonio for a
large multi-media  portrait exhibition coming fall 2024 in collaboration with Joshua Anthony Rodriguez.