José Luis Vargas
Visual Artist, Educator in Visual Arts and Arts in Education
Cultural Events Coordinator, Radio Producer and Community Radio Facilitator
Podcaster
Education
Pratt Institute, NY- BFA, 1988
Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Maine, USA- 1991
Royal College of Art, London, UK- MA-1994
Royal College of Art, London, UK- MA-1994
Awards
1992
John Moore's Painting Prize, Liverpool, UK
1991
Scholarship Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Maine, USA
1989
Primer Premio, Arte Joven, Chase Manhattan Bank, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1988
Lorenzetti Traveling Scholarship, Pratt Institute, New York, USA
1987
Charles A. Dana Foundation Scholarship, Pratt Institute, New York, USA
1985
Foundation Art Scholarship, Pratt Institute, New York, USA
Individual Exhibitions
2024
Phenomenon, Museo de Arte y Diseño de Miramar, San Juan, PR- August 2024 - February 2025
2023
Este es mi mundo, Casa de los Contrafuertes, San Juan- August- September
Bazaar, Souvenir 154, San Juan- February-March
The Alchemical Wedding, La Milagrosa Chapel, San Juan- January - February
2022
Weird Tales, Tripoli Gallery- Wainscott, NY- October- November
Este es mi mundo, Pública Espacio, San Juan- August-September
There’s no way back, Dragon, Crab & Turtle, St. Louis- October 2021-February 2022
Palace of Memory, Shrine Gallery, NYC- February 26- April 3
2020
Voodoo Mayo Ketchup- Katherine Bernhardt and José Luis Vargas, Carl Freedman Gallery, Margate, England- 12 sept- 24 oct.
Este es mi mundo ¡Entra!- Lowell Ryan Projects, LA-12 sept- 31 oct.
Yo reinaré- Embajada Gallery, San Juan, Puerto Rico- 22 may- 2 august
Sideshow Viewing Room, Marlborough Gallery, NY- 5 march- 18 April
Mythmaking, Bill Brady Gallery, Miami- 28 february- 28 march
2019
Confesiones Sobrenaturales, Espacio Hidrante, Santurce, Puerto Rico
2018
Prepárate pa lo que viene, Estación Tropical, Santurce, Puerto Rico
El Museo de Historia Sobrenatural (with Estación Tropical), Loíza, Puerto Rico
2017
Superstición, Roberto Paradise, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2016
El Mundo de Kelvin, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2015
Vidente desde niño, Arsenal de la Marina, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Ya se acabó, Roberto Paradise, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2014
Yo reinaré, Roberto Paradise, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2011
Prepárate para lo que viene, La 15, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2009
En algún lugar de la memoria, Museo de Arte, Caguas, Puerto Rico
2008
El Retorno de los Garadiávolos, Liga de Arte, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2006
El Museo de Historia Sobrenatural, Liga de Arte, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2002
Salto desde la tercera cuerda, Galería La Pintadera, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1998
Visitantes, Galería Botello, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1997
Is there an Alien base in Puerto Rico?, Phoenix Gallery, Brighton, UK
Todavía, Gutsch Gallery, Luzern, Switzerland
Todavía, Gutsch Gallery, Luzern, Switzerland
1994
Recent Work, Galería Botello, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1992
Selected Works, Museum of Oxford, Oxford, UK Liga de Arte, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1990
Galería Luiggi Marrozzini , San Juan, Puerto Rico
1989
Galería Luiggi Marrozzini , San Juan, Puerto Rico
1988
Liga de Arte, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1986
Galería Francisco Oller, Universidad de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Liga de Arte, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Group Shows
2024
Amantes de la Noche, El Kilometro 0.2, Santurce, PR- December 2024- February 2025
20th Annual Thanksgiving Collective, Tripoli Gallery- Nov. 2024- Feb. 2025
Meca Art Fair, Souvenir 154 Booth, Dominican Republic- May
We have arrived, curated by Yatika Starr Fields and Allison Glenn-Territory Indigenous Art (TIA), Tulsa, Oklahoma-April
Entre ser y Estar, prefiero quedarme, Kilometro 0.2- January
2023
Cartografías del Desplazamiento, curated by Helen Ceballos y Abdiel Segarra; Miami-December
Science Fictions and the Puerto Rican Futures, curated by Eva Diaz- June
Science Fictions and the Puerto Rican Futures, curated by Eva Diaz- June
Circumference Bias, curated by Jackson Hescock, 3500 Lemp Ave, St. Louis- April - May
New Devotions, curated by Laura Rivera Ayala. Clemente Soto Vélez Center- March - April
2019
2019
NADA Art Fair, Miami
What have we done?, Tripoli Gallery Wainscot, NY
MECA Art Fair, San Juan,
Puerto Rico Garden, Shrine Gallery NYC
Tropical, Pública Art Space, San Juan
Mundos Alternos, Art and Science Fiction in the Americas, Queens Museum, NY
2018
Night, Tripoli Gallery, Southampton, NY
Material Art Fair, Mexico City, Mexico
2017
Mundos Alternos, Art and Science Fiction in the Americas, UCR ARTSblock, Los Angeles, USA
Dallas Art Fair, Dallas, USA
2016
The Aging Coconut, Roberto Paradise, San Juan, Puerto Rico
EXPO Chicago, Chicago,USA
NADA Art Fair, New York City, USA
NADA Art Fair, New York City, USA
ARCO, Madrid, Spain
2015
¡Qué no se acabe la fiesta!, The Hole, New York City, USA
Muestra Nacional, Arsenal de la Marina, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico
NADA Art Fair, New York City, USA
MATERIAL, Mexico City, Mexico
MATERIAL, Mexico City, Mexico
2014
NADA Art Fair, Miami, USA
NADA Art Fair, New York City, USA
2013
NADA Art Fair, Miami, USA
2012
Muestra Nacional, Arsenal de la Marina, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2010
Careos, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2009
Muestra Nacional, Arsenal de la Marina, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2002
Bienal de Arte Contemporáneo, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2000
Pintura Puertorriqueña, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1999
Cien años de la invasión, Arsenal de la Marina, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1995
Rituales secretos, altares personales, 198 Gallery, London, UK
1994
Out of the Nineties, Mall Galleries, London, UK; Galería Botello, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1992
John Moore's Exhibition, Liverpool, UK
1990
Transatlántica, Arsenal de la Puntilla, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Anton Henning and José Luis Vargas, Vrej Baghoomian Gallery, New York City, USA
Anton Henning and José Luis Vargas, Vrej Baghoomian Gallery, New York City, USA
1989
Arte Joven, Chase Manhattan Bank, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1988
New Arrivals, Museum of Contemporary Hispanic Art, New York City, USA
1987
Trends, Museum of Contemporary Hispanic Art, New York City, USA
Reviews (selection)
Artforum; Modern Painters; Art News; Dazed; Artnet; Observer; Artfcity
Collections (selection) Royal College of Art, London; Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico; Museo de Arte
Contemporáneo;Katherine Bernhardt; César and Mima Reyes; Nicole Klagsburn; Jiménez Colón
Collection, Francesca Gavin