芦 Dreamers 禄 refers to the condition known to endless immigrants who every day leave their homes in order to walk down the long path of dreams in search of a better future; a future that no longer exists in their countries of origin, forgotten, set in indifference, the poor economy plunging them into wandering solitude. Mej铆a鈥檚 work captures this energetic burden through the colors created with natural pigments which also recall the organic, and our beginnings.

This painting belongs to a series in which Mej铆a expresses the tragic side of humanity and the inability of people to ensure the happiness of others above and before their own desire for material things and power. In this expressionist-style painting, he manages to create an oppressive and distressing atmosphere.

Artist Biography

Byron Mej铆a was born in Gracias, Lempira (Honduras) in 1979. He studied at the National Fine Arts School in Tegucigalpa (Honduras). He is among the most well-known Honduran painters and has exhibited in North and South America as well as Europe.

He is known for his use of diverse and varied techniques and 鈥渓anguages鈥� in his works. He has created several large-scale paintings: huge polyptychs covering entire walls and depicting emaciated bodies which invade the pictorial space. One of his more recent works however, 鈥淲in鈥�, shows his progression towards abstraction. This work is much smaller and the spontaneity of the brushstrokes and spots of color plays a major role. His palette becomes lighter and the shapes take on greater strength in the composition.

In parallel to his work as a painter, Mej铆a also began experimenting with video art. His series 鈥淕ame lessons鈥� speaks of 鈥榓nti-war鈥� by means of instruments of war. He aims to turn the object, such as a weapon, away from its initial function in order to change it into an 鈥榚ntertainment product鈥� and create something new that will provoke the viewer.

Mej铆a鈥檚 artistic vision has been the topic of several articles and critiques by museum curators worldwide. He is counted among the young artists of Central America to have received widespread recognition, in part thanks to his having been selected in 2001 as the representative for Honduras at the Biennale of Central America in Costa Rica. Mej铆a has received various awards, such as the first prize at the 17th IHCI National Art Fair (Tegucigalpa, 2000) or the first place for the 鈥淧hillips鈥� National Art Prize for Young Artists (National Fine Arts School, Tegucigalpa, 1999).