Expanding visions: 'Paño Connections: Corazón Knows No Bounds' features work of incarcerated artists

Mar. 28—Eric Christo Martinez learned to paint during his time in prison.

The New Mexico-based artist is the guest curator for "Paño Connections: Corazón Knows No Bounds," at the National Hispanic Cultural Center Visual Arts Museum.

The exhibit is up through Aug. 18.

Martinez says the exhibition explores artworks inspired by paños (drawings on handkerchiefs) and other artworks created by incarcerated artists.

This is the second iteration of this exhibit, and Martinez's goal is to expand connections among those who are passionate about this body of work.

" 'Paño Connections' is more than an exhibit, just like prison art is more than art," Martinez said. "It is real lives that express they are more than a number and statistic. It is parents, children, loved ones, and a growing movement to connect artists, communities and organizations to take a new look and gather hard data from the success stories of what is possible through the arts and rehabilitation."

Martinez says the exhibit is an evolution since he was released from prison.

"Bringing it back with this mission, I felt it important to have the first one to be right here at home," he says. "Our community knows all too well the harsh realities of this genre and our community, our nation, our world needs something positive to gravitate towards because the devil has been working overtime. 'The Passion of Christo' was not my own doing. I knew that when I was creating these paintings in prison. It was a gift from the creator. I've come to realize Christo is not me. My mother gave me the name Eric Christopher Martinez. My mentor El Maestro gave me the name Christo after my middle name when he realized I had a future as an artist and knew I needed to market myself because Eric Martinez was too common of a name, which was what I signed all my first paintings. I didn't sign Christo until after my mentor left prison after a 20-year sentence."

Martinez says his mentor used always tell him to paint a self-portrait.

"I thought it (was) weird to paint myself, but he reassured me of what it would do for me as an artist," he says. "It wasn't until he left and was no longer over my shoulder that I decided to paint a self-portrait. 'The Passion of Christo' was my first one and defining piece in my journey. Once again, El Maestro was right. It not only confirmed my passions as an artist, but that I was supposed to sign Christo as he suggested. This painting was my first time signing it."

Martinez is proud of the exhibit that he and NHCC staff pulled off with the show.

"Connections are at the heart of prison art and its purpose of keeping ties with families and society," he says. "Its influence on the community is undeniable. Research shows that the immense number of incarcerated populations are parents of children who are minors, creating negative ripple effects and generational traumas. 'Paño Connections' is an authentic movement of art that carries the struggles, humanities and triumphs of the American experience of disadvantaged communities. It displays the unique ingenuity of convict culture and the art of taking limited resources and repurposing them into beauty, keepsakes and freedom. The essence of prison art embodies the spirit of taking that which society has labeled as trash and transforming it into purpose and a powerful voice for the voiceless."

"Paño Connection" builds on work started by NHCC's acclaimed exhibition in "Into the Hourglass: Paño Arte from the Rudy Padilla Collection," which showcases over 100 paños or pañuelos amassed by the late collector and community advocate, Rudy Padilla. "Into the Hourglass," which runs through April 14 at the NHCC before travelling to other locations, celebrates paños as an art form and the contributions of incarcerated artists to the broader fields of Chicano and American art.

"We are incredibly honored to be working with Christo as an artist and the guest curator for this exhibition and the experience has been so meaningful as we learned about the stories behind each of the artworks," says Jadira Gurulé, NHCC head curator and visual arts manager. "What emerges is a complex reflection of the familial and community bonds that persist through artistic expression in the face of great challenge and separation. The exhibition continues an engagement with the topic of art and incarceration in the museum and builds upon the legacy and influence of these artists."