Artist Profile: Enrique Chagoya
Published January 1, 2017 by Nicole Webb
Enrique Chagoya
b. 1953
“So all through these difficult times, I try to find a little bit of humor, that’s coming from sincerity from me. I’m not trying to make - to push something to make it funny, never. I just put the things that make me laugh and smile. I try to abolish stereotypes because they dehumanize people.... I use humor to project that there is a human being behind every state of mind, no matter what the state of mind is.” - Enrique Chagoya
Artist Enrique Chagoya was born in Mexico City in 1953. From a young age, Chagoya’s father, an artist himself, encouraged his interest in art. Chagoya first attended the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, where he studied political economy and created political cartoons for the University’s newsletter.
Today, Chagoya’s artwork continues to be an extension of his political activism, using his experiences in both the United States and Mexico to tackle subjects such as stereotypes, immigration, colonialism, and oppression. His images include symbolic elements from pre-Columbian mythology, Western religious iconography, and American popular culture. Chagoya frequently uses humorous quotes and quote bubbles to allow viewers an easier introduction to the complex issues that his art discusses.
Enrique Chagoya, The Return to Goya's Caprichos: Quien Mas Rendido? (Who Else Surrendered), intaglio print, 1999, 2000.023.1a.
Enrique Chagoya, The Return to Goya's Caprichos: El Sueño de la Razón Produce Monstruos (The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters), intaglio print, 1999, 2000.023.1e.
Enrique Chagoya, The Return to Goya's Caprichos: Que liene el Coco (What's Up with Coco?), intaglio print, 1999, 2000.023.1h.