ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR -JORGE GUERRERO
ORGINALLY PRINTED ON APRIL 6, 2023
San Antonio is one of Texas’ major hubs for Hispanic creatives, cultivating a local art scene for those seeking to express themselves through different art mediums. In March, local art organization S.M.A.R.T. (Studying Mindful Arts Resources Together) hosted a solo exhibition at the 1906 art gallery located in the Lone Star district of San Antonio for West Texas-based artist Alex Lujan; a multi-disciplinary artist mixing animation, painting and sculpture to create comical and often nostalgic artwork. For his exhibition, “Times Up…”, Lujan chose to show art related to the brand he started called Bandito Trucking, and Lujan certainly brought some of his best work. His work included art pieces based on his Bandito character, recreations of moments in his childhood, Mexican pop culture references and Paper Mache works of his characters. He was also selling products from his brand, including stickers, earrings and airbrushed t-shirts that he painted on-site.
Photo by Jorge Guerrero
Lujan comes from Odessa, Texas, where he first created the beloved character he calls Bandito: a Mexican American character adorned by a cowboy hat, a mean mustache, and pointy boots called “botas tribaleras.” This character would become the foundation for his brand, which he would name Bandito Trucking because Lujan draws the character alongside his beloved truck in his artwork. When asked about what inspired him to make this specific type of art, he mentioned that his life and upbringing contributed a lot towards the direction he wanted to take artistically. In an interview, Lujan said, “My Mexican heritage comes from my father’s side. It was just my surroundings growing up and the things I’m trying to reconnect with that inspired me to make these art pieces.” When asked about the meaning behind the title of his exhibition, he answered, “Times Up is exactly how it sounds. Time for me to get mine or for you to get yours. I would always draw Bandito with twin pistols in each hand and just loved the western phrase with the imagery.”
Without a doubt, Lujan is tied to his Mexican roots, and he proudly shares that with the public. After a brief chat, he admits he’s happy for anybody to connect with his art. It means a lot to him that people can feel something while looking at his cartoonish paintings, and he’s happy he can do that for people directly or indirectly. Lujan adds, “I hope people can laugh or think about nostalgic moments in their lives no matter what culture they may pertain to. My main message with my art is really for people to remember where they came from and to be proud of it.” In attendance were St. Mary’s finance and risk management major and San Antonio native Edwin Gutierrez who told us, “As someone that grew up in South Texas, I struggle to feel connected to most traditional Mexican art. Lujan blends what I know and what I experienced growing up on the south side of town where the Tex meets the Mex. In general, his art makes me feel seen and reminds me of my unique childhood.”