Color de pasión: In love with Mexico, MxLAN artist’s work expresses affinity for Oaxaca

Irving Cano’s palette is filled with colors that represent all that he’s passionate about, such as people, home, and love. With shades of jade, orange and yellow serving as a reminder of his hometown of Tehuantepec, Oaxaca, it’s not difficult for him to apply that passion from brush to canvas, such as the image of laying on a colorful hammock.

“They are colors that I have seen throughout my childhood,” Irving said tenderly. “You sleep and wake up among the colors.”

The 33-year-old Oaxacan artist expresses his love for home through art. Vibrant colors, figures and textures that highlight Zapotec culture are all at his disposal, and he doesn’t waste a single brush stroke or material.

His talents will be on full display later this month at McAllen’s MxLAN event — which is returning July 27 through 31 at the McAllen Convention Center — for the first time since its inaugural festival in 2019.

Irving is tasked with painting a mural for the upcoming event, and will be wielding experiences from a largely self-taught and inspired life of art.

Much of his work is vibrant, depicting people with articles of clothing, artifacts and items of cultural significance to Mexico, and specifically Oaxaca — all fused with patterns of decadent and vivid color rich in yellows, reds and teals.

There are earth tones, but they’re represented more in people, giving the artistic impression that people are rooted in the earth, while the vibrance is reflected in how they live and the environment around them. Full circle illustrations that change with each look.

A self-described urban artist, Irving never attended art classes but learned techniques from the streets. He’s interested in art and culture but didn’t begin painting with materials such as spray paint until he saw a graffiti exhibit.

“It impressed me quite a lot how one could create aesthetic figures with aerosol paints,” Irving said, adding that prior to the exhibit he believed aerosol paints could not be used to create art. “When I saw that figures could be made, it motivated me to also do it. That is how my restlessness to practice and carry out graffiti work was born.”

Although now a well-known muralist, Irving recalled the struggles of developing his skills in a time when street artists would refuse to share their knowledge. Through trial and error, he crafted his own style that represents various aspects of Zapotecan culture.

For Irving, his hometown is a part of his identity, “rich in culture and folklore,” and expresses it in his art. Every detail, color and texture is inspired by his home.

“I try to reflect that in my work, that is why the colors are so very vivid in the compositions, the people, the looks and the faces of the older people, who for me are people who transmit a lot of wisdom and that reflect a lot in their expressions,” Irving explained, adding that he pays particular attention to the small details.

In his art, he includes textures such as the embroidery work on the traditional clothing of a Oaxacan woman. It is details like those on the clothing that he believes reflect the beauty of his culture.

“I think I have a good eye for those small details and try to highlight them,” Irving added about what makes his culture unique. “My idea is to preserve my identity and my culture.”

He interprets those ideas using jade, since the shade of turquoise green is his favorite color, but it also represents purity and strength, and is additionally considered one of the most precious stones in Mexican culture.

Irving’s materials of choice are aerosol, although he’s trying to stray from that for health reasons; acrylics, paint brushes, rollers and spatulas.

“I always like to experiment with different materials that will give the painting greater durability,” he added.

Irving saw the fruits of his labor in 2016 when he was invited to Dubai to participate in a collaborative mural. Being one of 15 artists from across the globe tasked with painting the mural created a sense of accomplishment for Irving.

“They were an artist that I have admired for some time and knowing that I was going to be in a project with them was fantastic,” Irving said with a sense of pride. “I was the only Mexican who was there with all those artists from other countries so it really boosted my career, so much so, that here in Mexico I was widely mentioned for the simple fact. I was the only artist with this identity.”

His trip to Dubai motivated him to continue developing his work in a way that represents and highlights his culture. It can be a slow process, however. In fact, Irving is still not quite sure exactly what he’ll feature at MxLAN, but considering his past work, one can bet it’ll highlight Oaxaca through the lens of an artist who loves Mexico.