Tony Vazquez-Figueroa

Tony Vazquez-Figueroa (b. 1970 Caracas, Venezuela) has explored the substance of crude oil and its many manifestations with the intention of activating this lens to analyze its effects on one of the richest global powers of the late 20th century – Venezuela. Using bitumen as a key material in the creation of works, Vazquez-Figueroa has developed a personal archive of paintings, sculptures, objects, and installations, that form the collective memory and heritage for himself and others experiencing this shared history. His deeply personal research into how oil-rich countries create unique physical, socio-economic, and cultural environments informs his artistic practice to create a body of work that distills the dystopic reality of over-industrialization.

Vazquez-Figueroa resides and works between Mexico City, Mexico, and Miami, Florida. He received his BFA in Film from Emerson College (Boston, MA) in 1992 and continued his art studies at the San Alejandro Academy (Havana, Cuba) and then at the New York Studio School, where he earned a scholarship to study at the institution. He then finished his formal training in 2002 at the Slade School of Painting at the University College London, under the tutelage of Jenny Saville. His work is featured in public and private collections worldwide such as: The Perez Art Museum Miami, The Museum of Latin American Art California (MOLAA) the UNIS Museum Guatemala, and the Black Gold Museum in Saudi Arabia among others.