This fall, the action is in Chicago’s art galleries. Here are 10 shows to not miss
"Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, and raised in Philadelphia, Clotilde Jiménez describes his worldview as “bifocal,” and that’s evident in all of his work. Éramos silencios draws on a family secret. The man he’d known his entire life as his Tío Juan was revealed to be his biological grandfather. The two deepened their relationship even more after the revelation. That paternal relationship, improved over many visits and months-long stays to the island, allowed Jiménez to develop a “racial vocabulary” that flips the American experience entirely on its head.
Look out for pieces such as Los Varones, which depict his Tío Juan, grandfather Gabriel and grandmother Renée Jiménez, and Invitación al Altar, inspired in part by Mexico City modernist mural art, where the artist now lives and works. Oranges grow all over Puerto Rico, but the ones in Mayagüez are particularly important to Jiménez. The fruits appear across many of the works in Éramos silencios, especially in self-portraits."
Words written by Ambar Colón for WBEZ Chicago.
