ABOUT

Jose Raya is an artist from the Pilsen neighborhood in the south side of Chicago who creates mixed media paintings with a social focus. He enjoys creating paintings that merge pop culture with politics, of both the past and present, while telling a story to the audience.

"Growing up in Pilsen, a neighborhood composed of mostly poor Latin Americans and African Americans, I saw the injustices brought onto to our citizens from people in government positions. I also noticed the separation between the Latin American and African American community, despite the shared neighborhood and miseries that come hand in hand with poverty. Seeing these types of social ills not only affected my psyche, but also my artwork, which has focused around the violence, racism, and hardship of growing up in the inner city."

Solo Exhibitions

2014 Lost Haven, Crome Gallery, Chicago, IL

Group Exhibitions

2015 St. Valentine's Day Massacre, Mint, Chicago, IL

2014 Bit Wars, Pilsen Open Studios, Chicago, IL

2015 Silent Nights of Years Passed: The Work of Jose Raya

and Natalie Malinowski, Pilsen Open Studios, Chicago,