Today we’d like to introduce you to Patrick McGrath Muniz.
Hi Patrick, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up in the island of Puerto Rico and did my B.F.A. at the Escuela de Artes Plasticas in San Juan. In 2o04, I moved to the U.S. and completed my M.F.A. at the Savannah College of Art and Design. I lived with my wife, Blanca, in Florida in 2008. In 2011, we moved to Savannah, Georgia, where she completed her M.ARCH at SCAD as well.
Shortly after, in 2014, we decided to move to Houston, Texas, after she got a job at Gensler Architecture. In 2017, Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, where I still had my main studio and lost most of my artwork and much of my childhood memories. This represented a turning point in my work. To this day I still make art as a means to reconstruct and make up for all the loss. One of the few objects I was able to bring with me from the destruction was my first Tarot deck from over 30 years ago. I took this as a sign showing me what kind of work I would do next. I eventually published my first Tarot deck with U.S. Games Inc. titled Tarot Neocolonial de las Americas. In 2020, shortly before COVID took over the nation, we moved to a new home in New Territory, Sugar Land. This is where I now have my art studio and paint. I currently have two art galleries representing my work. Heidi Vaughan Fine Art in Houston, and Evoke Contemporary in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The past 8 years haven’t been smooth at all, and I’d say it has been one turning point after another, redefining my path as an artist in the process. Before Hurricane Maria, my mom had a serious car accident in 2016. She survived miraculously but had to relocate to Florida, where my brother and sister could take care of her. The next year, Hurricane Harvey hit us in Houston but also Maria in Puerto Rico, where I still had a studio with most of my work stored. Most of it was lost in the aftermath. My mom also lost her home, which contained most of our family and childhood memories. In 2018, my son Francis was born, and this brought light and a new perspective into our lives. Shortly after, in 2020, we recolated to New Territory in Sugar Land. Soon after, we were all affected by the COVID-19, and in the process, I lost my best friend and mentor, Cesar Villanueva. Cesar not only was like a son to my mom, he was like a brother and saved my mom’s life in the aftermath of the car accident. Losing him without being able to even say goodbye was devastating, and I still try to find closure and solace through my art. He was also the person who introduced me to Tarot all those years ago, making this deck of cards even more meaningful. At this point, my art not just deals with the present issues but also with fading memories. I’ve already lived half of my life in the island and half of it in the continental U.S. It all seems like yesterday and happening in the blink of an eye.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’ve been working primarily with oil paintings on canvas and retablos. I’ve also been drawing a lot lately. My work is inspired after Old Master and Spanish colonial paintings while addressing issues such as colonialism, consumerism, and the impact of technology in our lives. I am also working with Tarot cards, creating new decks, and incorporating hidden signs and symbols into my paintings and drawings.
Ultimately, I make art as a way to know myself and as an antidote to our intolerable collective amnesia and superfluous distracted consumer media that keeps us disconnected from the natural world and ourselves.
Any big plans?
My plans for the future involve showing my work in more museum spaces, publishing two books, one about painting and one on drawings, making more decks of cards using my art, and making more videos for my YouTube channel.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.patrickmcgrath-art.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/patrickmcgrathmuniz/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/patrick.v.muniz
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_4z0j4JHo5fe_MF7XQ0hOQ
Image Credits
Evoke Contemporary
U.S. Games Inc.
