buddhabellystudio

born september 27, 1950

george samaniego holding my little sister katie and my mother katie

my oldest brothers george, edward and joseph

that's me with my first drawing tablet and my brother fernando

i grew up in pomona, california

attended

hamilton kindergarten

sacred heart

graduated from garey high school

mt. san antonio

cal state fullerton

otis art institute

(decided academia was not for me when my favorite teacher

told off his senior class telling them that they were just being

pumped out like college athletes)

that is kind of what it felt like for me.

now that degree is important for a professional career as an artist

but that is not how i see myself.

i decided to discover what chicano art could be.

i have lived in this usa when racism was the norm.

i've lived in labor camps and worked the fields.

i belonged to a young men's social club (gang some would say)

experience everything that qualifies for being able to express

the experience of being a chicano.

i am proud of my work and thankful to the wind for being able to do it.

.....

one day i got it in my head to move to new york city

but first i thought i'd stop in san francisco and live there for a year

well that was 1978 and i'm still here in this beautiful place.

i have visited most of europe and some of japan and

i will visit new york someday hopefully.

.....

thank you joseph mugnaini my teacher at otis

and peter rodriguez for putting me in that show at the

mexican museum with all those greats.