Adrian Aguirre presents two series of work:
Facing Lena Street are portraits of Venezuelan immigrants in El Paso, Texas.
Facing Second Street are day laborers that Aguirre met in Denton, Texas.
Adrian Aguirre (b. 1980, Ciudad Juarez, Mexico) is a Mexican-American artist whose work focuses on the politics of immigration and the people caught in the middle. Adrian grew up on both sides of the El Paso/Juarez border, crossing the bridge daily to attend school. This experience influenced his perspective on borders and immigration. Adrian’s work consists of portraiture and representations of life as an immigrant or refugee. He has traveled to refugee camps, day labor sites and volunteered with immigrant organizations.
Migrantes (2019-21) illustrates mundane and tedious aspects of migration, such as waiting in line for water, walking through tent camps, and casual conversations.
Jornaleros (2008-10) depicts Texas day laborers and expands on the migration experience. Portraits of men confronting the viewer with blank documents define the series, suggesting the violence of bureaucracy and the unequal power dynamic between migrants and law enforcement.
All of Aguirre's drawings show an intimacy with the subjects. Aguirre is not a casual observer, but connected embedded, and empathetic, and the drawings are thus intimate and powerful, holding the realities of beauty and struggle, hope and despair, and a depth of humanity. These images are more important than ever to share, as our current federal governmental policies demonize migrants, and split communities apart.
See Aguirre's work on his website and instagram
Learn more about The Lena Wall here.
Adrian Aguirre- Drawings (2025) is supported by individual donors, The City of Santa Fe Arts and Culture Department, and In the Family Way.
