There’s a shapeshifting quality to the paintings Ricardo Estrada, whose subjects are physically inhabited by cultural iconography. The Los Angeles native specifically focuses on Chicano culture, whether in his murals or acrylic paintings. Each carries intricate brushwork that allows Estrada to transition between differing textures and planes of reality.
“Estrada’s work can now be found on the walls of Downtown and East L.A., including Lincoln Park’s Plaza de la Raza, where he also conducts classes for kids of all ages, passing on the legacy to the next generation,” a statement says. “Estrada renders complexly painted portraits, suffusing images of people from his life and community with Mayan symbology, and which describe social, cultural and environmental realities indigenous to L.A.”
See more of Estrada’s work below.