Artist Highlight: Augusto Esquivel

Meet Augusto Esquivel, an artist at Bakehouse Art Complex who repurposes readily-available sewing buttons to create stunning three-dimensional sculptures. Born in Argentina, Augusto fondly remembers his grandmother, a seamstress who saved her buttons in a tin can whose memory inspires his practice. He moved to the United States in 2021, where a chance encounter with a fellow artist prompted an apprenticeship, leading him to discover the joys of using idiosyncratic material for sculpture.

Here at Bakehouse we are fond to say “mucho gusto, Augusto,” which roughly translates to “lots of love, Augusto” in Spanish. We have nothing but love for Augusto, so read on to learn more about January’s artist of the month.

Can you tell us about your artistic practice?

I thread thousands of sewing and shank buttons onto monofilament to create three-dimensional sculptures and paintings. I draw inspiration from pop culture with the intention to understand the dual identity experienced as an immigrant in relationship with capitalism.

Tell us about a personal artistic project or body of work that you are currently excited about.

I am currently working on my first portrait, which fills me with both excitement and uncertainty because I don’t know it will work. This happens with every single sculpture I start working on! My work requires a lot of planning and a lot of material setup, so uncertainty is not a good feeling to have weighing on you. But more often than not I find a way to make the sculpture work. I’ve also lost the fear to stop the project and start all over again by reusing the material, which isn’t to say I destroy the unsuccessful work.

Tell us about how you have developed as an artist since you began working at Bakehouse

I try to participate as much as possible in events to get to know the other artists in my community. I value their presence around me. Even if we don’t talk all of the time, just the simple fact that I can see them working on their projects inspires me a lot. How do my peers approach their work? How many different ways are there to solve a problem? Was it even a problem in the first place? My development at Bakehouse has been more than just practicing in an affordable studio space—it’s a constant reminder to keep a fresh open view of the art community in Miami and an open way to approach my work.