Alberto Cruz

BIOGRAPHY

Alberto Cruz (b. 1982) lives and works in Oaxaca, Mexico. He trained at the Institute of Plastic Arts at the School of Fine Arts of Oaxaca, graduating in 2005, and later completed a Bachelor of Plastic Arts at the Benito Juárez Autonomous University of Oaxaca in 2013. His work has been exhibited widely in Mexico and internationally, including presentations in the United States, London, and Japan, and he was awarded the Takeda Prize at the Shinzaburo Takeda Biennale in 2016.

Beyond his individual practice, Cruz has played a significant role in the preservation and dissemination of traditional graphic processes. He is a co-founder of several key initiatives, including the Oaxaca Graphic Workshop and Burro Press Workshop (both 2016), the Latin American Miniprint Oaxaca Contest (2017–2019), and the Oaxaca Miniprint Workshop (2020).

Cruz’s work unfolds through quiet, narrative scenes that open onto intimate and fantastical inner worlds. Children, animals, and plants appear in totemic relationships, their interactions marked by innocence and a subtle sense of wonder. In these compositions, fantasy and everyday life coexist seamlessly, offering a contemplative vision of human connection.

Drawing is central to his practice and finds its fullest expression in printmaking. With a refined command of mark and stain, Cruz distills each scene to its essential elements, allowing form and gesture to gently guide the viewer’s attention and deepen the emotional resonance of the work.