UTSA Student's MFA Thesis Exhibition Examines Dual Cultural Identity

Visitors to Blue Star Art Complex in San Antonio can view a new solo exhibition by UT San Antonio student Braulio Ivan Gutierrez Gonzalez through November 19. The show, titled “De Aquí y De Allá,” serves as the artist’s Master of Fine Arts thesis project. The opening reception took place on November 6 during the venue’s First Friday event.

The exhibition comprises nine distinct pieces, each representing a “Zodiac Neo-Alebrije.” These works draw on traditional Mexican folk statues and the Chinese zodiac wheel. Gutierrez Gonzalez states that the series explores how media aesthetics influence cultural meaning. He aims to show how overlapping cultures and values shape individual identity.

Gutierrez Gonzalez, who is scheduled to graduate with his MFA next month, developed the project under the mentorship of Martin Rodriguez, an Assistant Professor of Instruction in New Media. Rodriguez helped the student secure the exhibition space at Blue Star. The artist works in illustration, multimedia, and installation art.

In his artist statement, Gutierrez Gonzalez writes that he investigates how commercial aesthetics compress cultural meaning. He notes that this process flattens distinctions while increasing emotional and visual density. The work reflects his personal experience growing up between Matamoros, Tamaulipas, and Brownsville, Texas.

The artist explains that he did not perceive a cultural distinction during his childhood. He previously avoided identifying as Mexican but now embraces both his Mexican and American heritage simultaneously. He rejects the hyphenated label “Mexican-American” in favor of stating he is Mexican and American, viewing both as integral parts of his self.

The conceptual framework for the thesis relies on parts theory, a psychological model developed by Richard Schwartz, Ph.D. This approach allows an individual to address trauma by focusing on different internal components. Gutierrez Gonzalez adapted this model to create figurative representations of his life, family members, and personal struggles. Each of the nine figures corresponds to a specific animal selected from a cross-reference of the Chinese and Aztec zodiacs.

One piece, “Somos: Cocky,” features a four-dimensional rooster with cardboard feather details alongside a rectangular screen decorated with Chinese letters. The artist used this work to process both negative and positive emotions. Gutierrez Gonzalez hopes the audience will leave the exhibition feeling inspired to appreciate life more fully.