Friday

Piñata-based artist Roberto Benavidez in 𝘍𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘋𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮 at Friday Gallery.

Benavidez is a self described “Half-breed, South Texan, q***r, figurative sculptor” specializing in the piñata form, playing on themes of race, sexuality, art, sin, humor, ephemerality and beauty. “I was drawn to ancient imagery of mythological hybrid creatures, which parallel the mixed race part of myself. When I was growing up in south Texas in the 70s and 80s, it was a very racist time and place, and it felt like Mexicans were second-tier citizens. I want to push the piñata into a realm where you’re forced to see it as valuable, moving it into new spaces to show that we belong everywhere.”

His work is represented in the permanent collections of the Renwick Gallery at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, The Museum of International Folk Art, LA Metro, and the Detroit Institute of Arts, among others. He was recently featured in the New York Times Series “The Art of Craft.” Benavidez has shown in group and solo exhibitions, including at the AD&A Museum at UCSB, Craft In America, Mingei International Museum, Palo Alto Art Center, Self Help Graphics, Mesa Contemporary Art Museum and Riverside Art Museum; his work was included in the 2024 Homo Faber Biennial in Venice, Italy, and the 2025 Cheongju Craft Biennale in Cheongju, South Korea.

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𝘍𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘋𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮
Opening Tues Feb 24 / 6-9PM
Curated with .artprojects
Friday Gallery
767 S. Alameda St. #198
Los Angeles, CA
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