September 28, 2020
Hector Acuna is a mixed media artist who traverses a multitude of subject matter and media by collecting, integrating, and juxtaposing visual information.
His work weaves together themes of his rural Midwest upbringing, a conflicted relationship with my Mexican heritage, and the human body as a social and cultural signifier. You can see from his recent piece "Snake Noises" that he turned into a sticker. Hector chose a matte die cut sticker to showcase his art, and below you can see how he adapted the painting into a sticker design.
He took the original concept and compressed the elements to fit the custom shape of the sticker, while still keeping the spirit of the painting. He brought in the wheel and the ring box onto the bottom of the design, and then has a black border to give depth and contrast to the design and really help the colors pop. It makes for a nice addition to his online store, where other types of his mixed media pieces are for sale. Hector understands the act of representing "a thing" becomes a way of defining the thing through the eyes and mind of the artist. "Viewers will see, engage, and experience the work while developing their own interpretation," he says.
Hector's artwork has been exhibited nationally in various museums and galleries including the Scarrabochio Art Museum and the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum. Hector's work has been purchased in private and public collections in the United States and France. Hector has been the recipient of numerous grants, fellowships, and awards including the Hipstamatic Entrepreneurship Award and the Dissertation Completion Fellowship from Michigan State University. Outside of his studio, he has completed and collaborated on multiple large scale murals.
Hector has pursued teaching opportunities to students in middle school, high school, and at the undergraduate level. Privately Hector has taught painting and drawing lessons to students in individual and small groups. On an average day Hector can be found working in his studio, biking, watching or making YouTube videos, playing guitar, or camping in his van. Hector recently became engaged to his long time partner Megan DeWall, and you can see them both talking about his process where he's actually making the Snake Noises piece.
For artists of all kinds, a sticker makes for a portable piece of art that fans can stick anywhere and promote their work as an act of self-expression. Hector's example shows us all how you can tailor your work and create a new piece of art through a custom shaped die cut sticker.
TRY DIE CUT STICKERS