x3mex painting, atrium of ASI

  • x3mex painting, atrium of ASI

That headline isn’t code, but the name of Mexican-born and Jonesboro-raised artist X3mex and where you can see his work: the Arkansas Studies Institute atrium. X3mex (Jose Hernandez, who formerly signed his work ChX3mex) has taken graffiti art and transformed it into work that often has a political message. Here, in his show “Raices” (or “Roots”), the artist is inspired by the history of Mexican independence. The theme is part of the city-wide commemoration of the 100th anniversary of Mexican revolution and 200th of Mexican independence, which includes exhibits at UALR and the Arkansas Arts Center.

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Not all the work is monumental as the piece shown above, depicting a farmworker armed with a knife and backed by revolutionaries. Some of it is painted on the back of skateboards. Not all are about armed struggle; at least one, a skateboard piece, is the image of an octopus, drawn in thick outline around stippled body and legs, in a high varnish. Crazy about it.

For a drive-by look at X3mex’s artwork, see the exterior of the ACAC, at 900 S. Rodney Parham Road.

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