Art Exposed
By Armando Olveda

Armando Olveda was born in the city of San Luis Potosi, Mexico in 1967. He studied at the University of San Luis Potosi, graduating with a Zoological Engineering Technician degree. After completing his studies, Armando traveled in Mexico for 10 years as a drummer in a rock band. For the next three years, he was a member of a group of independent writers and poets in Zacatecas, Mexico, participating in workshops and literary cafes. Armando became interested in the religious photographs taken by his grandfather and used them to create collages.

 

In addition to the collages, he began creating more art sculpture in paper mache. Subsequently, he began teaching workshops in paper mache in high schools, universities and for the Social Security Administration in Querétaro, Mexico.

In 1998 Armando studied sculpture with a master restorer as well as watercolor with a painter of colonial art in Querétaro, Mexico. Armando has created scores of original alebrijes. Alebrijes are elaborate paper mache pieces created by the late Mexican artist Pedro Lineras. It was Lineras' brush with death and visions of wild, brightly colored animals that led him to replicate these animals, which he called alebrijes. This new art soon made its way throughout art galleries in Mexico and eventually the international art market. Armando Olveda has created his own version of alebrijes and alebrije style fantastic figures. He also works with water colors and pastels in mixed media, since moving to the United States.