Born in Lima, Peru, Bakehouse artist Gonzalo Hernandez first became interested in art after a teacher introduced him to the artist Marcel Duchamp at the age of 15. Since then, he says he has not stopped thinking about modern and contemporary art. He first studied at the Escuela de Artes Visuales Corriente Alterna and recently graduated from the Savannah College of Arts and Design with an MFA and MA in Fibers and Painting. After moving to Miami in 2020, he joined the Bakehouse Art Complex community shortly thereafter.

Can you tell us about your artistic practice? 

My art practice addresses personal narratives related to contemporary issues like labor, success, failure, the art world, and identity. Pulling from autobiographical sources, my installations, sculpture, painting, photography, and film are very specific to my perspective as an immigrant while also addressing broader cultural concerns. As I seek to blur the line between art and life, every subject and material can be included in my work, no matter how quotidian. From the mounds of cardboard found on the factory floors of past employment which become relief sculptures or the shopping lists quickly scribbled onto my hand that I photograph and reuse in my practice, I find truth and meaning in the overlooked. Daily encounters with text, language, and material become fodder for symbolic interpretations.

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

This summer, I will be working on an upcoming exhibition for November. I’m currently working mainly with textiles, mostly trying to create new installations using that medium and wood. Conceptually, I’m following up with my last show and doing some research in collections and appropriations. I think the show that I’m working towards now is my most personal yet. 

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

Coming to the Bakehouse, especially being a new artist in the Miami art scene, has helped me a lot. Being able to have a space where I could meet with other artists, curators and collectors has definitely helped me and changed my way of making too. I use my studio space a lot and it is constantly transforming, so whenever people come back they always see new things.

What do you enjoy most about being a part of the Bakehouse community? 

I think being able to connect with other artists. I believe that being in the arts is a community job that requires you to socialize with other cultural producers. At Bakehouse, we often check on each other, which helps us to develop new work and share new opportunities.