Hurtado was born in San Nicolás de las Garzas, Nuevo León, Mexico before his family relocated to San Antonio when he was three. There, Hurtado experienced the realities of urban poverty as well as the artistic rejuvenation projects geared towards enhancing the self-esteem of the city’s Mexican and Chicano communities. He was surrounded by murals depicting the narratives of these communities from antiquity to the present. At the age of 17, after being arrested for graffiti, Hurtado decided to move his artwork from concrete onto canvas and found objects. Since that time, he has grappled with how underrepresented cultures find a voices on both canvas as well as public projects and what it means to depict pride in one’s ancestry while also staying true to one’s roots. He has participated in speed-painting competitions as well as festivals for Low Rider Clubs and art-center fundraising. Hurtado is now a New Orleans resident, and his work has grown to encompass New Orleans’ indigenous peoples and cultures as well as the changing nature of the city.
