José Luis Arriaga was born in Mexico City in 1966 and studied at the prestigious La Esmeralda School of Art from 1984. Being a typical early 1980´s Punk, his work could be considered a challenge to traditional art and to our way of looking and understanding painting. His interest resides in questioning the traditional ethics on how we value art. Mass manipulation in all its forms, social engagement, relation between oneself and politics, as well as our society driven into junk consumer through junk aesthetics are all the components of his work.

As he says, art must be understood as a way of reflection and self analysis in a continuous process of inner exploration.

The works shown here all depict Mexico City street kids with very little hope ahead of a brighter future. These kids, deprived of the most elemental needs, such as toys, open spaces and, above all, of a ¨normal¨ childhood, have to fight hard and often ugly from an early age in order to carve their hole in rough neighbourhoods. It is, however and unsurprisingly, in the ¨Mexico Arena¨ that they find a model and a safe conduct (a hope?) on which they can escape from their daily routine.

Mexico Arena, la Lucha Libre, is one of Mexico´s symbols and the legendary fighters are the subject of a special cult and respect, as much as la Lupita herself, who is also their Patron Saint and Protector.

The street kids identify themselves with these Luchadores by wearing their masks, just as any other kid would wear his football team´s T-shirt.

However, this is not just plain fun for those kids. In identifying themselves with their ¨champion¨, they also assume an identity and respect very often absent at home.

Arriaga has been able to render a very intense psychological portrait of these kids, masterly depicting their young age, fragility, loneliness with a knife-sharp brush, a simple palette and primary colours, dramatically enhancing the strength of his message.