Bringing together paintings (2011–2025), photographs (1979–2019), and a new installation (2026), this retrospective reflects Samuel E. Vázquez’s poetic exploration of material, memory, and belonging.
Through the use of diverse materials and markings—often humble or discarded—Vázquez assigns direct structural purpose while simultaneously elevating their symbolic meaning. These once-overlooked materials become vessels for reflection, revealing themes of personal history, community resilience, and a deeply rooted sense of home.
Born in 1970 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Vázquez is a contemporary visual artist whose work has been exhibited alongside Helen Frankenthaler, Joan Mitchell, Sam Gilliam, Sabina Klein, Sam Francis, Keith Haring, Torrick “Toxic” Ablack, and Futura 2000, among others.
After moving to New York City in 1979, Vázquez became captivated by the vibrant paintings covering the subway system. Immersed in the city’s youth culture, he engaged in style writing, breaking, music, and the Downtown art scene—experiences that would profoundly shape his artistic language. He later earned degrees from New York City College of Technology (CUNY) and the Herron School of Art and Design at Indiana University.
Vázquez was also a featured artist in special programming for Ai Weiwei: According to What? at Newfields. His work is deeply rooted in the New York City subway painting era of the 1970s and 1980s and is informed by the practices of Ed Clark, Mimmo Rotella, Jacques Villeglé, Jackson Pollock, and Jean-Michel Basquiat.
