ALEJANDRA HERNÁNDEZ

MAYBE I’M A LOST SOUL,

BUT I LIKE THIS PLACE

ALEJANDRA HERNÁNDEZ

MAYBE I’M A LOST SOUL,

BUT I LIKE THIS PLACE

ALEJANDRA HERNÁNDEZ IN HER STUDIO, NEW MEXICO HIGHLAND UNIVERSITY, LAS VEGAS NM, 2018

COVER PAGE: I LIKE THIS PLACE, OIL ON CANVAS, 2 63/64 X 22 53/64 INCHES (83,8 X 58 CM), 2018

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CHRISTIAN MAYEUR & ANNE POUX

PROFOUND LIGHTNESS – A LOST SOUL ON THE FRINGE OF METAPHYSICAL NEW MEXICO

SNAKES AND BISONS POPULATE ALEJANDRA HERNÁNDEZ'S UNIVERSE, IN A SILENT DREAM WHERE THE LOOKS

SETTLE AS THE MIRRORS OF THE SOUL. FROM THE VERY PARTICULAR ATMOSPHERE OF LAS VEGAS NEW

MEXICO, WHERE WE NEVER KNOW VERY WELL IF WE CROSS A MOVIE EITHER THE REALITY, ALEJANDRA

HERNÁNDEZ PULLED A BIG SCENE IN SEVERAL PAINTINGS. EVERY PICTURE HAS A DIALOGUE WITH OTHERS IN A

STRANGE COLORED SILENCE. CLEARLY, TIME STOPPED, NOMADIC ALEJANDRA TOOK ROOT.

IN THE AIR OF THIS DREAM FLOAT THE INDIAN SOULS. THEY ARE NEXT TO EXISTENTIAL COWBOYS AND

BANDITS THERE.

ALEJANDRA’S SOUL HAUNTS THESE SCENES AS IN SO MANY INTIMATE RELATIONS REVEALED TO THE

LIGHT. A FAMILIAR AND NEVERTHELESS RENEWED BESTIARY UNDERLINES THE STRENGTH OF HER OWN

PRESENCE TO THE WORLD.

FANTASY AND HUMOR ENHANCE THE TRAGIC FEELING WHICH INVADES THE VIEWER.

AND THEN THERE IS OBVIOUSLY AN INFLUENCE OF THE PARTICULAR CONTEXT OF LAS VEGAS NEW MEXICO:

THE WORK OF ALEJANDRA HERNÁNDEZ TOOK A NEW TURN IN THIS CITY, PUT AS A TREASURE ISLAND FULL AT

THE FOOT OF SANGRE DE CHRISTO MOUNTAINS.

THE MELANCHOLIC, PENSIVE CHARACTERS ARE PLUNGED INTO A PROFOUND METAPHYSICAL SOLITUDE, TO

WHICH IS ADDED THE SILENCE, THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF A COMMUNICATION - THESE DUMB CHARACTERS LOOK

AT US, QUESTION US, CALL OUT TO US, OBSERVE US, SEND US BACK TO OURSELVES (" PEACHES NOT CREAM ")

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WE ARE AT THE SAME TIME OUTSIDE AND INSIDE THE PAINTINGS - THEY SNATCH US UNTIL WE ARE PART OF

THEM - IRRESISTIBLY. WE ARE CONCERNED, WE SHOW SOLIDARITY, WE ARE A MEMBER OF THE SAME

FAMILY, OF THE SAME WORLD.

WHAT DO THESE CHARACTERS IN LEVITATION TELL US, OR AT LEAST WHAT DO THEY TRY TO TELL US? IS IT

ALEJANDRA WHO SPEAKS TO US? BUT WHO IS ALEJANDRA, WHO INVITES US TO ENTER HER PAINTINGS WITH

NAUGHTINESS TINGED WITH HUMOR? DOES SHE INVITE US TO KNOW HER BETTER, TOO?

ALEJANDRA HERNÁNDEZ SEEMS TO SPEAK TO US BEHIND EACH OF HER CHARACTERS, CHARACTERS WHOM

SHE SEEMS TO TAKE WITH HER THROUGHOUT HER TRIPS, AS COLLUSIVE JOURNEYMEN - HUMAN BUT ALSO

ANIMAL JOURNEYMEN. ANIMALS ARE TIMELESS COMPANIONS, EMBARKED ON THE SAME METAPHYSICS.

THESE CHARACTERS COULD BE US - OR NOT. OR THOSE WHO SURROUND US. WE RECOGNIZE OURSELVES

THERE - IN THE PHYSICAL APPEARANCE, EITHER THE POSTURE, OR THE CLOTHES, OR THE CONCERNS. BUT

WHAT IS THE SENSE OF ALL THIS?

MILK AND SNAKES, ACRYLIC AND OIL ON CANVAS, 23 5/64 X 31 7/64 INCHES (58,6 X 79 CM), 2018

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MORNING GLORY, OIL ON TEXTILE, 74 1/64 X 96 29/64 INCHES (188 X 245 CM), 2018

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THE EXISTENTIAL INSPIRATION IS EVERYWHERE, INCLUDING WHERE WE WAIT FOR HIM LEAST (" EXISTENCIAL

BANDIT " OR " EXISTENCIAL COWBOY ").

« MAYBE I AM A LOST SOUL, BUT I LIKE THIS PLACE » IS A MOTIONLESS EXPERIENCE TOO, THAT, WITH THIS

FUND OF MELANCHOLY AND SOLITUDE, REMINDS EDWARD HOPPER OR DAVID HOCKNEY

(" ROSE "). STILL LIVES ARE NOT THERE. THE LIGHTNESS IS VISIBLE, BUT PARADOXICALLY FULL OF HEAVINESS

AND DEPTH, IT SPREADS AT SEVERAL LEVELS, AS A FALSE CAREFREENESS. THIS IMMOBILITY AND THIS MYSTERY

FIND THEIR ULTIMATE POINT IN WHAT COULD LOOK LIKE A MODERN ADAPTATION OF

THE FAMOUS MANET’S " DÉJEUNER SUR L’HERBE " (" MORNING GLORY ").

THE WAY OF PAINTING IS NAIVE, CHILDISH, NAKED, DIRECT, STYLIZED, PURIFIED … THESE COLORS, THESE

PORTRAITS, THESE LOOKS SEND BACK TO AN ORIGINAL PAINTING DIVERTED FUNNILY (" MILK AND SNAKES ")

OR MAYBE TO A REVISITED ‘PETIT PRINCE’ (" US AND THE CHIHUAHUA ")?.

THE DENSITY OF COLORS, THE MULTITUDE OF DETAILS IN OBJECTS, THE SHAPE OF THE DRAPES, REFLECT THE

INFLUENCE OF THE CONTEXT TOO: NEW MEXICO - DO WE VISIT THE LOST PARADISE?

FULL OF CHILDISH FRESHNESS AND HUMOR, PAINTINGS SEND BACK TO US AGAIN AND AGAIN NEVERTHELESS,

TO WHO WE ARE, IN THE SENSE OF THE LIFE, BY LEAVING IN US TRACKS OF A QUITE METAPHYSICAL GRAVITY.

AND EROS IS ALWAYS PRESENT, WHO LIVES SLOWLY IN SCENES.

ALEJANDRA HERNÁNDEZ OFFERS US THE PLEASURE OF LESS HARMLESS PAINTINGS THAN IT APPEARS.

PARIS, AUGUST 2018.

BOOTS, ACRYLIC ON PAPER, 10 25/64 X 7 51/64 INCHES (26,4 X 19,8 CM), 2018

7

PEACHES N’ CREAM, ACRYLIC AND OIL ON CANVAS, 49 1/64 X 68 7/64 INCHES (124,5 X 173 CM), 2018

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STORMY, ACRYLIC ON PAPER, 19 31/64 X 25 63/64 INCHES (49,5 X 66 CM), 2018

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INTERVIEW

CONVERSATION BETWEEN ALEJANDRA HERNÁNDEZ, CHRISTIAN MAYEUR & ANNE POUX

CHRISTIAN MAYEUR: WHAT IS YOUR EXPERIENCE OF THE RESIDENCY, DID YOUR MINDSET CHANGE BETWEEN

THE BEGINNING OF YOUR RESIDENCY AND NOW?

ALEJANDRA HERNÁNDEZ: MANY THINGS CHANGED BETWEEN MY ARRIVAL AND TODAY. I HAD SOME

EXPECTATIONS IN MY HEAD, SINCE I HAD INITIALLY PROPOSED A DIFFERENT KIND OF PROJECT TO MAYEUR

PROJECTS, MY FIRST PROPOSAL WAS FOCUSED ON LIVE PORTRAIT PAINTINGS, WHICH IS AN ONGOING

PROJECT I’VE HAD WHICH STARTED ABOUT 6 YEARS AGO. I REALIZED THAT I NEEDED TO DO SOMETHING

DIFFERENT ONCE I GOT HERE, I NEEDED TO GET BACK IN TOUCH WITH MYSELF AFTER MONTHS AND MONTHS

OF NON-STOP TRAVELLING THROUGH DIFFERENT PLACES LIKE INDIA, EUROPE, THE MEDITERRANEAN,

COLOMBIA AND TURKEY WITH MY HUSBAND CARLOS, ALSO AN ARTIST.

AS SOON AS I GOT HERE, I FELT THAT IT WAS POSSIBLE TO

SLOW DOWN, ESPECIALLY DURING THE FIRST WEEKS, WHILE

I WAS GETTING THE RHYTHM, IT’S A VERY DIFFERENT PLACE

THAN ANYWHERE I’VE BEEN BEFORE. I HAVE A FEELING OF

PEACE HERE, THAT’S THE FIRST TIME I COULD WORK IN A

STUDIO SINCE ABOUT TWO YEARS. DURING THE NOMADIC

JOURNEYS, I MOSTLY WORKED IN SMALL FORMATS AND

SKETCH BOOKS WHERE I WROTE AND DREW.

I LIKE THIS PLACE, 2 63/64 X 22 53/64 INCHES

(83,8 X 58 CM), 2018

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DURING THE FIRST DAYS OF GETTING HERE, I HAD SO MUCH INFORMATION AND FEELINGS GATHERED; I FELT

LIKE I COULD EXPLODE; I PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY NEEDED TO PAINT AGAIN. I FELT IT WAS AN

OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK INWARD, A VERY EXISTENTIAL TIME. NOT SO MUCH A TIME TO BE OUTSIDE, TO LOOK

FOR PEOPLE YET, AS I NEEDED TO STEP BACK. I NEEDED TO BE IN THE STUDIO AND FIGURE OUT WHAT I

WANTED TO MANIFEST IN MY WORK. I FELT I WAS CONSTANTLY IN AND OUT FROM A MOVIE SCREEN.

I STARTED THEN TO MEET PEOPLE, TO HEAR THEIR STORIES UNFOLD, NOT FORCING PORTRAITS. FOR ME

PAINTING PORTRAITS IS A VERY ORGANIC PROCESS AND IT TAKES A LOT OF TIME, I DIDN’T FEEL IT WAS THE

RIGHT MOMENT AND I NEITHER HAD THE ENERGY TO MAKE PORTRAITS, I INTUITIVELY KNEW I HAD TO DO

SOMETHING DIFFERENT.

SO, I STARTED CREATING STORIES USING SYMBOLS AND METAPHORS, REFERRING TO THINGS THAT AREN’T IN

THE PICTURE, THINGS THAT ARE BEHIND THE SCENES AND THAT YOU CAN READ “BETWEEN THE LINES”.

THEY’RE DEFINITELY PERMEATED WITH THE FEELING OF BEING A STRANGER IN A NEW PLACE. CURIOUSLY

ENOUGH, AT THE SAME TIME, I FELT THAT HERE I COULD FIND SOME GROUNDING.

US AND THE CHIHUAHUA, ACRYLIC AND OIL ON CANVAS, 30 25/32 X 48 13/16 INCHES (78,2 X 124 CM), 2018

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LAS VEGAS IS A PLACE THAT TO ME DWELLS BETWEEN REALITY AND FICTION, WITH ALL ITS US WESTERN

LANDSCAPES, MOVIE SETS AND OLD BUILDINGS THIS PLACE DOESN’T FEEL VERY FAR FROM MY COUNTRY,

CULTURALLY WE HAVE A LOT OF SIMILARITIES, COMING FROM THE SPANISH COLONY. LAS VEGAS IS A

PERFECT SET UP FOR A RESIDENCY, HERE I COULD FOCUS AND PRODUCE A LOT OF NEW WORK, AS I SAID IT

WAS LIKE AN EXPLOSION, I FELT IT WAS EASY TO ADAPT TO THE CIRCUMSTANCES, IT JUST HAPPENED, IT’S

BEEN AN ORGANIC PROCESS. I’M SURPRISED ABOUT THE OUTCOME, I’VE PRODUCED A LOT FOR THE AMOUNT

OF TIME, EVERYTHING WAS ACCELERATED. OF COURSE, THAT WOULDN’T HAD BEEN POSSIBLE WITH THE HELP

FROM MANY PEOPLE HERE, THAT’S BEEN A BEAUTIFUL EXPERIENCE, EVERYONE AT HIGHLANDS ART DEPT, I

MUST SAY I’VE BEEN VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE ACCESS TO SUCH AN AMAZING STUDIO IN HNMU’S BURRIS

HALL, AND ALSO THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO’S INVOLVED WITH MAYEUR PROJECTS. THEY’VE ALL BEEN

INCREDIBLY OPEN, FRIENDLY AND HELPFUL, I’M VERY THANKFUL FOR THIS EXPERIENCE AND GETTING TO MEET

ALL THIS TOP NOTCH HUMANS.

ROSES, ACRYLIC ON PAPER, 19 31/64 X 25 63/64 INCHES (49,5 X 66 CM), 2018

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ANNE POUX: ARE YOUR CHARACTERS REAL CHARACTERS – DID YOU MEET THEM? OR DO THEY COME FROM

YOUR IMAGINATION?

AH: I WAS INSPIRED BY SOME OLD PHOTOGRAPHS FOUND IN ANTIQUE SHOPS, WHEN I WAS STRUGGLING TO

FIND A STARTING POINT. I FOUND VERY SPECIAL PICTURES FROM AROUND THE 20’S TO THE 50’S. I STARTED

WORKING WITH THESE IMAGES. I ASSUME THAT THESE PEOPLE ARE FROM HERE, BUT THESE CHARACTERS

COULD BE FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE, IT DOESN’T REALLY MATTER. THEY ARE NOT PEOPLE I PERSONALLY

KNOW, BUT THROUGH PAINTING THEM I GET TO KNOW THEM, I CREATE THEIR STORIES IN MY HEAD. I START

FROM AN IMAGE AND IT OPENS INFINITE POSSIBILITIES…

SUN N’ SAND, ACRYLIC ON PAPER, 19 31/64 X 25 63/64INCHES (49,5 X 66 CM), 2018

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TUTTIFRUTTI, OIL ON CANVAS, 39 9/64 X 33 5/64 INCHES (99,4 X 84 CM), 2018

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AP: AS YOU TOLD US BEFORE, THERE IS SOME PART OF YOU IN THE PAINTINGS. DO YOUR NEW MEXICO

PAINTINGS REFLECT WHO YOU ARE, WHAT YOU’RE FEELING?

AH: THERE IS A FEELING OF STRANGENESS IN THE PAINTINGS - IS WHAT I SEE NATURAL OR NOT, AUTHENTIC

OR NOT? CHARACTERS SEEM TO POSE ON A THEATRICAL SCENE, IN A TIMELESS SPACE. THE MOMENTS COULD

BE HOLIDAYS OR SOMETHING ELSE, I LIKE TO SEE IT AS –TIMES IN BETWEEN-. TO ME, THEY CONTAIN SOME

BITS OF NOSTALGIA, OF ARTIFICIALITY BUT THEY’RE ALSO ABOUT CONNECTION AND ENCOUNTERS BETWEEN

PEOPLE, ANIMALS AND NATURE. I HOPE EVERYBODY CAN FEEL CONNECTED SOMEHOW. THIS IS INSPIRED BY A

CINEMATOGRAPHIC APPROACH, LIKE A MOVIE DIRECTOR, I PUT CERTAIN CHARACTERS IN A PLACE AND I HAD

TO FIND MY OWN PLACE WITHIN THESE CHARACTERS.

EXISTENCIAL COWBOY, ACRYLIC AND OIL ON CANVAS, 14 3/32 X 31 31/32 INCHES (35,8 X 81,2 CM), 2018

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AT THIS POINT OF MY LIFE, IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO COME HERE. I’M LOOKING FOR A DEEPER MEANING

IN LIFE AND WHAT I DO AS AN ARTIST, IT’S A NEVER-ENDING PROCESS. I FEEL LIKE WE’RE ALL LOST IN A

CERTAIN WAY, AND TRYING TO DO OUR BEST OUT OF THIS CONFUSION. I LIKE THIS PLACE, I’M HAPPY HERE, I

WANT TO SHARE THE BEST PART OF IT. THE RESIDENCY COINCIDES WITH A MOMENT OF MY LIFE WHERE

EVERYTHING IS CHANGING FOR ME, THERE’S LOTS OF UNCERTAINTY OR MAY I SAY POSSIBILITIES. MAYBE I

WILL REMAIN A STRANGER. BUT I HAD TO BE GROUNDED NOW, SO IT’S A GOOD PLACE TO BE.

SUN(FLOWER) BATHING, 11 3/8X 15 INCHES (28,9 X 38,1 CM), 2018

CM: WHAT ENERGY DO YOU PUT THE SHOW, WHAT’S YOUR AIM WITH THAT SHOW?

AH: I ENVISION THE SHOW AS VERY BRIGHT, INVITING, COLORFUL, LIKE A FRESH BREEZE, VERY ENERGETIC. I

WANT PEOPLE TO FEEL WELCOME TO ENTER INTO EVERY PAINTING. I WOULD LIKE THE VIEWERS TO TAKE TIME

AND CREATE THEIR OWN NARRATIVE, TO SEE WHAT IS THE STORY BEHIND. BUT OF COURSE, EVERYONE IS

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FREE TO COMPLETE THE PAINTING WITH HIS/HER STORY AND TAKE WHATEVER EACH ONE WANTS FROM

THEM. USING TEXTS ALONG SOME OF THE IMAGES GIVES ANOTHER DIMENSION, WHICH GETS THE VIEWER

BACK ON TRACK WITH “MY STORIES” BUT THEY’RE FREE TO MIX IT UP AND PERHAPS CREATE DIFFERENT

CONNECTIONS AND TRACES BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT WORKS. MY HOPE IS THAT VISITORS FEEL RELAXED AND

TO ENTER THESE DIFFERENT JOURNEYS. I LIKE TO THINK OF THE OVERALL RESULT, OR THE FEELING IT MIGHT

TRANSMIT AS A FRESH MORNING IN THE DESERT OR FOREST WHEN THE WEATHER IS KIND OF WARM AND YOU

HAVE SHADES OF ORANGE AND PINK, SOME BREEZE AFTER A RAINY NIGHT, MAYBE THE SMELL OF FRESH

PEACHES OR A BBQ, LOTS OF ANIMALS AROUND, MAYBE YOU JUST WOKE UP IN A TENT OR A FAMILY RV.

THE PAINTINGS ARE ALSO ABOUT GATHERINGS, REUNITING PEOPLE. AS INDIVIDUALS, WE DON’T ACT AS

INDEPENDENT BEINGS, BUT AS INTERDEPENDENT ONES AND WE NEED THESE MOMENTS WHERE EVERYDAY

HECTIC LIFE STOPS AND WE CAN GET BACK IN TOUCH WITH OURSELVES AND THEREFORE WITH OTHERS,

ESPECIALLY IN NATURE, OUT FROM THE BIG CITIES. TO ME THAT’S THE FUTURE, THAT’S WHAT I WANT IN MY

LIFE.

THESE ALMOST THREE MONTHS OF THE RESIDENCY HAVE BEEN ONE OF THESE MOMENTS IN-BETWEEN. IT HAS

BEEN IMPORTANT TO RECHARGE WITH OTHERS AND I WANT TO SHARE THAT.

DENIM, ACRYLIC ON PAPER, 10 63/64 X 7 3/32INCHES

(27,9 X 18 CM), 2018

AP: IT’S LIKE IF THE CHARACTERS WERE FOLLOWING

YOU FROM A COUNTRY TO ANOTHER, LIKE IF THEY

WERE MOVING WITH YOU, ISN’T IT?

AH: YES, IN REALITY THERE’S CONTINUITY. AT

EVERY NEW PLACE, I COULD CUT AND START ALL

OVER, BUT IT’S HARD TO SEPARATE EACH

EXPERIENCE, BECAUSE LIFE IS A CONTINUOUS FLOW.

I TRIED TO CONCENTRATE LOTS OF EXPERIENCES AND

VISIONS, FROM MY EXPERIENCE HERE TO THE POP

CULTURE I’VE CONSUMED AND MY PERSONAL

QUEST.

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LAS VEGAS FEELS CLOSE TO ME, WE’RE ALL CLOSE TO AMERICAN CULTURE, AT LEAST IN THE WESTERN

WORLD. EVERYTHING IS HERE: ADVERTISEMENT, MOVIES, MUSIC, CLICHÉS….

I CAME WITH LOTS OF IDEAS, BUT HERE I GOT A FREE CARD, A FREE CARD TO DO SOMETHING WITH ALL THAT:

THE LANDSCAPE, THE MOTELS, THE ROAD SIGNS, THE NEON, THE MOTORCYCLE RALLY, THE RV CULTURE,

EVERYTHING I FOUND HERE IS PART OF THE AMERICAN IMAGERY, IN THIS CASE A MIX OF NATIVE INDIAN-

HISPANIC-AMERICAN CULTURE WHICH IS VERY UNIQUE. I SAW IT AND COULD PLAY WITH IT.

CM: COLORS ARE MORE INTENSE, DEEP - COULD I SAY THICK? - IN YOUR PAINTINGS, WHAT DO YOU THINK?

AH: THE LIGHT OF THIS PLACE HAS A LOT TO DO WITH THAT. THE SKY HERE IS SO SPECIAL. THE QUALITY OF

THE LIGHT BRINGS THE COLORS OUT. COLOR HAS ALWAYS BEEN CRUCIAL IN MY WORK, IN DIFFERENT TIMES

OF MY LIFE SOME COLORS COME OUT AND PREVAIL, IT DEFINITELY HAS EVERYTHING TO DO WITH THE

CONTEXT I’M WORKING IN.

BOYS AND HORSIE, ACRYLIC ON PAPER, 11 3/8 X 7 23/64 INCHES (28,9 X 18,7 CM), 2018

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CM: MAYEUR PROJECTS IS A CONTEMPORARY ART GALLERY LOCATED IN A SMALL CITY OF NEW MEXICO, ON

A UNUSUAL PLACE, WHAT DO YOU THINK OF MAKING A SHOW HERE?

AH: I LIKE PLACES THAT WORK AROUND THE EDGE, AT THE PERIPHERY. IN BIG CITIES, IT CAN BE DIFFICULT TO

WORK, AS THERE IS TOO MUCH INPUT FROM THE ART WORLD AND TOO MUCH GOING ON. HERE IS A GOOD

PLACE TO FOCUS, A PLACE TO WORK. LAS VEGAS IS A SMALL CITY BUT A LOT OF THINGS ARE GOING HERE:

MOVIES, ART SCHOOLS AT THE UNIVERSITY, UNITED WORLD COLLEGE. AND IT’S CLOSED TO SANTA FE AS

WELL. MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE GETTING INTERESTED IN THE GALLERY AND COMING ESPECIALLY HERE,

BECAUSE THEY CAN TAKE TIME, WITH THE SPACE, THE WORKS, WITHOUT THE NOISE, IT’S A MORE INTIMATE

APPROACH TO THE ARTWORK. I REALLY THINK THERE’S A VERY BRIGHT FUTURE FOR MAYEUR PROJECTS, AS

IT’S A VERY VISIONARY PROJECT. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR LAS VEGAS TOO, AND FOR ART STUDENTS AT

HIGHLANDS, THE OUTSIDE INPUT IS VERY HELPFUL IN THIS PROCESS OF EMBARKING SERIOUSLY INTO THE

ARTS. I HAVE A GOOD CONNECTION WITH THIS PLACE. I’M ALREADY LOOKING FORWARD TO COMING BACK

AGAIN.

LAS VEGAS NEW MEXICO – PARIS, AUGUST 2018.

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ALEJANDRA HERNÁNDEZ

CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN GHOSTS

SO, WHAT’S THE STORY MORNING GLORY?

I MAY BE A WONDERING SOUL…

I’M ALSO LOOKING FOR PLEASURE, ISN’T EVERYONE ELSE?

I GUESS SO, EVERYONE SEARCHES FOR IT IN DIFFERENT WAYS, USUALLY THROUGH RITUALS THAT CONNECT US

BACK TO THE SOURCE.

SOME RITUALS COMFORT ME, OTHERS ALTER MY PERCEPTION. I FEEL LOST WONDERING THESE STREETS. I

STILL INHABIT THE HOUSE OF MY GREAT GRANDPARENTS. I’M STILL HERE BENEATH THE WALLS, I NEVER

THOUGHT THERE COULD BE SO MUCH LEFT OF ME ONCE I WAS GONE.

I GUESS, ALL I REMEMBER IS DIFFERENT TIMES COMING TOGETHER, I GET FLASHBACKS, I SEE ACID COLORS,

CERULEAN SKIES, AND COTTON CANDY SUNSETS, EATING PEACHES N’ CREAMIN A WARM SUMMER

AFTERNOON, I REMEMBER THE SMELL OF ROASTED CHILIES AND PEEKING THROUGH THE FENCE TO CHECK

OUT THE NEWBORN KITTENS AT MY NEIGHBOR’S BACKYARD EVERY MORNING WHILE THEY SUNBATHED.

NOWADAYS, TIME DOESN’T MEAN A THING.

WHERE DO YOU BELONG?

ME? HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW, WHERE DO YOU BELONG?

MAYBE I’M A LOST SOUL, BUT I LIKE THIS PLACE.

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(TOP LEFT) NOW, ACRYLIC ON PAPER, 11 ½ X 8 5/64INCHES (29,2 X 20,5 CM)

(TOP RIGHT) HOLIDAYS, ACRYLIC ON PAPER, 11 ½ X 8 5/64 INCHES (29,2 X 20,5 CM), 2018

(BOTTOM LEFT) MOVIE SCREEN, WATERCOLOR ON PAPER, 11 ½ X 8 5/64 INCHES (29,2 X 20,5 CM), 2018

(BOTTOM RIGHT) BANANAS, WATERCOLOR ON PAPER, 11 ½ X 8 5/64 INCHES (29,2 X 20,5 CM), 2018

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(TOP LEFT) EMOTIONS, ACRYLIC ON PAPER, 11 ½ X 8 5/64 INCHES (29,2 X 20,5 CM), 2018

(TOP RIGHT) SECOND CHANCE, ACRYLIC ON PAPER, 11 ½ X 8 5/64 INCHES (29,2 X 20,5 CM), 2018

(BOTTOM LEFT) LOOK INSIDE, ACRYLIC ON PAPER, 11 ½ X 8 5/64 INCHES (29,2 X 20,5 CM), 2018

(BOTTOM RIGHT) SALON GIRL, ACRYLIC ON PAPER, 11 ½ X 8 5/64 INCHES (29,2 X 20,5 CM), 2018

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AND I LIKE YOUR STORIES…

STORIES MAY COME FROM HALLUCINATIONS, INDUCED BY HIGH FEVERS OR PSYCHEDELICS. BUT ALSO FROM

MEMORIES, BILLBOARDS, MAGAZINE ADS, FILMS. LIKE THAT TIME, WE HAD THAT REALLY BAD TRIP IN THE

DESERT, ONLY DRINKING A BOTTLE OF MILK COULD BRING US BACK TO THIS REALITY.

OR THAT TIME WE WENT UFO HUNTING ON THAT ROAD TRIP, WE RENTED AN RV, DO YOU REMEMBER?

THE DOG WOULDN’T STOP BARKING ALL NIGHT

I JUST LOVE SHARING OUR BLOOD, BREATH AND STORIES INSIDE OF A RED TENT. IT’S ALL VERY NOSTALGIC,

SOMEHOW, I JUST CAN’T LEAVE THIS PLACE.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK IS ANYBODY THERE.

I HEAR PEOPLE COMING IN AND OUT BUT I CAN’T UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY SAY, I CAN’T REACH THEM BUT

I’LL MAKE SURE THEY KNOW I’M STILL HERE.

IT’S ALL ABOUT MOTION, NON-LINEARITY, THOSE TIMES IN BETWEEN ONE THING AND THE OTHER.

US PASSING BY THE SUN N’ SAND MOTEL WHILE SNIFFING ROSES AND GASOLINE FROM THE BIG TRUCKS ON

THE HIGHWAY. I REMEMBER THE NIGHT YOU DISAPPEARED.

YEAH, WE HAD CAKE AND COFFEE OUTSIDE.

OR LIKE THAT TIME WHEN WE WERE SPYING ON THOSE LOUD TOURISTS.

I MISS THAT.

THOSE TIMES WHERE WE COULD BREATH AND FELT THE NEED TO RECONNECT WITH OTHERS, OR WITH

OURSELVES.

WHAT DOES FREEDOM MEAN TO YOU?

23

IT’S US AND THE CHIHUAHUA WALKING THROUGH THE WHITE SANDS WHILE QUOTING A SCENE FROM THE

MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH. YOU KNOW THAT SCRIPT BY HEART, OR MAYBE IT’S BATHING IN SUNFLOWER

BEAM WHILE I LEVITATE.

ANYWAY, I’VE DECIDED WHAT I WANT TO DO NOW – I WANT TO BECOME AN EXISTENTIAL BANDIT, OR

PERHAPS A COWBOY, YOU KNOW LIKE THOSE REALLY SENSITIVE AND INTUITIVE ONES. BUT I WANT TO LOOK

REALLY TOUGH THOUGH.

YOU COULD DO THAT. I GUESS WE CAN GROW EVERYWHERE LIKE WATERMELONS AND SQUASH.

WHAT IS IT ABOUT MOTION AND NON-TEMPORAL SPACES... LIKE THOSE TIMES IN BETWEEN WHEN YOU CAN

BECOME WHO YOU REALLY ARE.

LIKE IN HOLIDAYS OR WHEN WATCHING A FILM…

(TAKE A DEEP BREATH)

(LEFT) WOMAN IN RED, ACRYLIC ON PAPER, 11 ½ X 8 5/64 INCHES (29,2 X 20,5 CM), 2018

(RIGHT) RED CHILI, ACRYLIC ON PAPER, 11 ½ X 8 5/64 INCHES (29,2 X 20,5 CM), 2018

24

DON’T YOU JUST LOVE THE SMELL OF ASPEN TREES AND LAVENDER AFTER A HEAVY AND STORMY NIGHT WHEN

YOU’RE OUT CAMPING?

AFTER RIDING AROUND, DRIVING FOR HOURS…

WE MUSTN’T DON’T FORGET THE CAT LADY, SHE’S AMAZING I LOVE HER. SHE SPENDS HER DAYS IN THE PARK

HANGING OUT WITH HER THREE CATS.

NOW, THAT’S WHAT I CALL A GOOD LIFE.

THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME.

LAS VEGAS, SEPTEMBER 2018.

(LEFT) BILLY, ACRYLIC ON PAPER, 22 11/64 X 14 3/32 INCHES (56,3 X 35,8 CM), 2018

(RIGHT) POSSIBILITIES, ACRYLIC ON PAPER, 11 37/64 X 7 23/64 INCHES (29,4 X 18,7 CM), 2018

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BIOGRAPHY

ALEJANDRA HERNÁNDEZ (1989, BOGOTÁ, COLOMBIA)

COMPLETED A BACHELOR IN VISUAL ARTS AT LA JAVERIANA UNIVERSITY, BOGOTÁ IN 2011, AFTER

GRADUATING, MOVED TO BELGIUM AND DID A MFA IN PAINTING AT KASK SCHOOL OF ARTS, GHENT

(2012-2014). IN 2016, FINISHED A TWO-YEAR RESIDENCY PROGRAM AT HISK (HIGHER INSTITUTE FOR

FINE ARTS) ALSO IN GHENT, WHERE SHE GRADUATED AS A CANDIDATE LAUREATE. FROM 2017 SHE IS

WORKING BETWEEN COUNTRIES, TRAVELING, RESEARCHING AND LIVING IN DIFFERENT CONTEXTS. THE

NOMADIC JOURNEY BECAME A MAJOR INTEREST IN HER PRACTICE WHICH IS MAINLY FOCUSED IN HUMAN

RELATIONSHIPS, RELATIONS WITH THE NATURAL WORLD, ON THE SELF AS WELL AS ON THE OTHERS, THIS

PRACTICE IS ENRICHED BY GETTING TO KNOW DIFFERENT CULTURES, RELIGIONS, TRADITIONS, ART AND

CRAFTS, WHICH SHE OFTEN COMBINES, DEPICTING SITUATIONS IN OTHERWORLDLY REALMS. ON THE OTHER

HAND SHE HAS AN ONGOING PROJECT WHICH CONSISTS IN PAINTING LIVE PORTRAITS OF PEOPLE SHE MEETS.

THIS WOULD BE THE MORE MUNDANE BRANCH OF HER WORK, ROOTED IN EXPERIENCE AND IN BEING

PRESENT WITH THE OTHER. SLOWLY THESE DIFFERENT WAYS OF PERCEIVING START TO MERGE AS A MIRROR

OF THE INNER-SPIRITUAL WORLD AND THE OUTER-PHYSICAL ONE. A MÉLANGE OF THE POSSIBLE UNIVERSES

AND DREAM-LIKE CHARACTERS IN HER PORTRAITS ARE SIMPLY A REFLECTION OF THE SELF, OF THE TIME WE

LIVE IN AS WELL AS OF THOSE THINGS THAT MAKE US ALL HUMAN AND WHICH GO BEYOND THE SOCIAL

CONSTRUCTS THAT INSIST ON GENERATING DIVISIONS AND FEELINGS OF OTHERNESS AMONG PEOPLE.

EDUCATION

2016 CANDIDATE LAUREATE, HISK (HIGHER INSTITUTE OF FINE ARTS), GHENT, BELGIUM.

2014 MFA IN PAINTING, KASK SCHOOL OF ARTS, GHENT, BELGIUM.

2012 BACHELOR IN VISUAL ARTS, PONTIFICIA UNIVERSIDAD JAVERIANA. BOGOTÁ, COLOMBIA.

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RESIDENCIES

2018 RESIDENCY AT MAYEUR PROJECTS, LAS VEGAS (NM), USA, FROM JULY TO SEPTEMBER.

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2018 MAYBE I AM A LOST SOUL, BUT I LIKE THIS PLACE, MAYEUR PROJECTS, LAS VEGAS (NM), USA.

2017 PEOPLE IN THE ROOM, ISLAND, BRUSSELS, BELGIUM.

2016 LATENT PRESENCES, LA VERONICA GALLERIA AT ART-O-RAMA, MARSEILLE, FRANCE.

DOMESTIC WILDLIFE, MIEKE VAN SHAIJK GALLERY, DEN BOSCH, THE NETHERLANDS.

FANTASTIC WHEREABOUTS, DE QUEESTE GALLERY, ABELE, BELGIUM.

KEEP MY TREASURES WHERE I CAN SEE THEM, GALLERIA LAVERONICA, MODICA, ITALY.

2015 TESORO ENCONTRADO, KB ESPACIO PARA LA CULTURA, BOGOTA, COLOMBIA.

SELECT GROUP EXHIBITIONS (SINCE 2014)

2018 PERSPECTIEVEN N1, DE QUEESTE GALLERY, ABELE, BELGIUM.

HOTEL EUROPA / CONTINENT DES ANECDOTES, LE 26, GALERIE FELIX FRACHON, BRUSSELS,

BELGIUM.

2017 CIGARROS Y GOMA DE MASCAR, MAS ALLA, BOGOTA, COLOMBIA.

SI HAY BIZCOCHO, GALERIA 12:00, BOGOTÁ, COLOMBIA.

2016 SUMMER IN THE CITY, CHRISTINE KÖNIG GALERIE, VIENNA, AUSTRIA.

I LIKE WHAT I SEE AND HOW IT MAKES ME FEEL, HOLLYBUSH GARDENS, LONDON, UK.

A PERFECT STORM FOR BUSINESS, THE GOVERNOR’S MANSION, GHENT, BELGIUM.

BALLS & GLORY, RODOLPHE JANSSEN GALLERY, BRUSSELS, BELGIUM.

ATLANTIS NA PLATO, CROXHAPOX, GHENT, BELGIUM.

2015 SALON 1030, PRIVATE EXHIBITION, BRUSSELS, BELGIUM.

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A COZY MYSTERY WITH BITE, GREYLIGHT PROJECTS , BRUSSELS, BELGIUM.

CAPITAL ARTISTS, BRUSSELS ART INSTITUTE, BRUSSELS, BELGIUM.

2014 MASTERS SALON 2014, ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS, ANTWERP, BELGIUM.

FANTASMAS, RAT TRAP, BOGOTA, COLOMBIA.

LA VIE MODE D’EMPLOI, ZWAARTE ZAAL, GHENT, BELGIUM.

GRAPHIC INTERCHANGE FORMAT INDIANAPOLIS, GENERAL PUBLIC COLLECTIVE, INDIANAPOLIS,

USA.

AWARDS AND COMPETITIONS

2015 KOMASK: MASTERS SALON 2014, KONINJLIJKE AKADEMIE VOOR SCHONE KUNSTEN, ANTWERP,

BELGIUM- MENTION OF HONOR.

PUBLICATIONS

2018 MAYBE I’M A LOST SOUL, BIT I LIKE THE PLACE, CATALOG, MAYEUR PROJECTS, LAS VEGAS NEW

MEXICO.

2015 THE EMPTY FOX HOLE, HISK CATALOGUE 2015, GHENT, BELGIUM.

2014 HART MAGAZINE ISSUE 131, CENTRE PAGE ARTIST COLLABORATION, BELGIUM AND THE

NETHERLANDS.

CATALOG MASTERS SALON 2014, PARTICIPATION IN EXHIBITION AND PUBLICATION, BELGIUM.

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ALEJANDRA HERNÁNDEZ

29

FOUNDED IN 2016 BY FRENCH COLLECTOR AND ENTREPRENEUR CHRISTIAN MAYEUR, MAYEUR PROJECTS IS

A CONTEMPORARY ART GALLERY, SUPPORTING EMERGING AS WELL AS ESTABLISHED ARTISTS. PRIVILEGING

ART THAT IS ABOVE ALL AN EXPERIENCE, OUR AIM IS TO CREATE A CONTEXT OF ENCOUNTERS BETWEEN ARTIST

AND VIEWER, THE OBJECT AND THE BODY, THE REAL AND THE IMAGINARY, THE GLOBAL AND THE LOCAL, THE

SOCIAL AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL, THE CONCERNS OF TOMORROW AND THE CONCERNS OF TODAY.

MAYEUR PROJECTS

200-202 PLAZA PARK, LAS VEGAS, NM 87701

MAYEURPROJECTS.COM

ALEJANDRA HERNÁNDEZ

MAYBE I’M A LOST SOUL

BUT I LIKE THIS PLACE

SEPTEMBER 14 – NOVEMBER 3, 2018

PHOTO CREDITS : © ALEJANDRA HERNÁNDEZ - © MONTIBON

© MAYEUR PROJECTS

ISBN: 978-1-7323044-3-7 – SALE PRICE: 25 $