Description
Alejandro Santiago (Mexican, 1964 – 2013)
Alejandro Santiago’s Migrantes Mexicanos is a captivating abstract piece that speaks volumes about the complexities of migration, identity, and human connection. The painting is filled with rich tones of purples, blues, and oranges, creating a vivid, emotional landscape that pulses with energy and depth. At the heart of the work are two abstract face figures, their forms intertwined in a way that hints at both separation and unity, symbolizing the migrant experience.
The bold use of color is striking. The purples and blues evoke a sense of melancholy and longing, while the oranges introduce warmth and vitality, suggesting the hope and resilience that accompany the journey of migration. The abstract faces are not defined in traditional ways, but their shapes are powerful enough to convey the deep emotional currents of the human experience. These faces are both distinct and connected, highlighting the duality of migration—moving away from one’s roots while carrying them forward, all the while navigating the complexities of belonging and displacement.
Through Migrantes Mexicanos, Santiago uses abstraction to transcend literal representation, instead focusing on the emotional essence of migration. The painting does not need to tell a specific story but invites the viewer to interpret it through their own understanding of movement, struggle, and the search for identity. Santiago’s work captures the internal conflicts and hopes of migrants, making Migrantes Mexicanos a poignant and universal reflection on the human condition.
