My parents first came to the United States as illegal aliens from Mexico. I was born in Glendale, but raised in a small Mexican village. A childhood broken into two countries has been a major subject matter in my art. It’s as though my paintings are still looking for that one home.
I used old family photos as the subjects of these drawings. I intentionally left out the backgrounds, concentrating solely on the figures. If I did the backgrounds, the drawings would be complete, and closed. The story would be done. This way, with the subject all alone and without a sense of place, the drawings ask, Who am I? Where do I belong?
- Antonio Pelayo