Following a tradition of social commentary practiced by notable Latino artists such as Coco Fusco, John Jota Leaños, and Alejandro Diaz, Justin Favela’s pinata-shaped sculptures meld memory with humor to reveal difficult to communicate experiences of identity and place. His exhibition at PVAC presents pieces from his current body of work that has recently been exhibited at many venues in his home state of Nevada including Tilting The Basin: Contemporary Art in Nevada, Nevada Museum of Art, Reno; and is currently on view in Mi Tierra: Contemporary Artists Explore Place, Denver Art Museum; and the upcoming traveling exhibition in the United Kingdom, Shonky: the Aesthetics of Awkwardness.
Favela spins cultural references—whether pop, family heritage or social—into dynamic, witty sculptural works of intrigue and paper. – Las Vegas Weekly Artist
Justin Favela creates enigmatic works of art through the very DIY medium of piñatas made from just cardboard, paper, and glue. Based in Las Vegas, Favela’s work plays with concepts of Southwestern Chicano culture and the traditional Mexican Catholic interpretation of the piñata … He literally elevates the piñata to a high art context with works like “Donkey Piñata,” which appears to be a reference to Maurizio Catalan’s “The Ballad of Trotsky,” featuring a hanging taxidermied horse. – makezine.com
