Juan Barroso was born in Oklahoma, and grew up in San Miguel Octopan, Guanajuato, Mexico. He received his BFA in art at the University of Oklahoma and his MFA in ceramics from the University of North Texas in Denton, TX. In 2020, Juan was selected for a Ceramics Monthly Emerging Artist Award. His ceramic work is represented by Companion Gallery. Juan currently lives and works in Princeton, Texas.
My work is about Mexican labor and the plight, struggle, hope, and heritage of Mexican immigrants. With the current political administration enforcing policies that dehumanize and force immigrants into the shadows, recognizing an immigrant’s humanity is vital. Notions of us or them deteriorate and it becomes clear that we are all working and fighting to provide a shelter and a decent meal for ourselves, and often a family. As the son of immigrant parents, I hope to pay homage to my people and the dignity of their labor. I mix 2-dimensional imagery, influenced by personal narratives, with 3-dimensional functional forms.
Using a small brush, I paint images with black underglaze on functional vessels. I use a pointillism technique because the process is time-consuming and labor intensive. The process, with time invested, becomes an act of devotion. With the loss of loved ones in 2020, I now also paint birds and other animals as a way to heal.
After the imagery is painted on bisqueware, I bisque again to set the image and avoid smearing the underglaze. I protect the images with liquid latex and airbrush a clear glaze on the rest of the piece. I make the work permanent and functional by firing to cone 10 in an electric kiln.