Guillermo Uziel Orozco

Biography

My name is Guillermo Uziel Orozco, and I am a first-generation American artist born on July 12, 1985, in Brownsville, TX. My family emigrated from Mexico seeking a better life and settled in Houston, where I spent my childhood. I always found myself drawing throughout my childhood and into high school, where I participated in the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo student art exhibitions.

After graduating from North Shore High School, I enlisted in the US Army in 2004 and served as a Chemical Operation Specialist 74D. During my service I was given the opportunity to paint two murals and several smaller projects for my units. One mural was painted at LSA Anaconda, Balad Iraq during my deployment in 2006. I also participated in humanitarian support during Hurricane Katrina and deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in 2013, where I was injured and returned home to complete my enlistment in 2015 as a Sergeant.

After my enlistment, I began my studies at the University of Houston working toward my BFA. The professors in the UH painting department were stellar and helped mold me as I refined my craft. Among my peers, my work always stood out. I use impasto and texture, striving to make my work be about the paint itself.

Artist Statement

My work is a meditative tool used as a therapeutic device to help me reflect on my PTSD trauma and experiences. I illustrate aspects of time, space, and nature, challenging my viewer to look inward and find balance through the chaos. My craft is often excessive — I use impasto and texture to move my viewers through the expanse of paint I set before them. I elaborate on my experiences through color, often relying on my feelings and intuition to compose my work. I aim to center the artwork around the paint itself, letting the interplay of medium and canvas narrate a tale and evolve into a living presence.

My current work is an inward reflection of my cultural heritage. I seek to explore the indigenous symbology of my ancestors by incorporating them into my abstract expressionist paintings. The range of color in my work is inspired by the alebrijes de Oaxaca. As a child, I encountered them first in Mexico on a trip with my father at a small market and felt a deep sense of spirituality from them.

I continue the legacy of my ancestors by infusing my artwork with the elemental essence of alebrijes — fire, earth, water, and wind. Each element corresponds to a primal color that the ancient peoples of Mesoamerica resonated with. The materiality of paint and metal foils helps connect the imagery to cultural artifacts that indigenous peoples worshiped. My creative journey is a fusion of tradition and innovation, allowing me to gaze into the past through their eyes and re-indigenize myself by channeling the wisdom of my forebears.

CV