Fulgencio aims to create warm, vibrant, whimsical images that celebrate family and community. His artwork depicts elements characteristic of his Oaxacan and Mexican heritage, like masks and human figures in an exploration of themes of identity. Color and graceful lines evoking free movement are ever-present in his pieces, bringing joy to the viewer. 

Fulgencio was born in Oaxaca, Mexico and studied at the Fine Arts School at the University of Benito Juárez of Oaxaca, under Professor Shinzaburo Takeda, where he specialized in printmaking.  In 1990, Fulgencio came to Seattle to study lithography at Cornish College of the Arts on a post-graduate scholarship provided by Cornish and El Centro de la Raza, a community-based organization. Despite his intentions of returning to his native Oaxaca, he fell in love and initiated his bi-national career, dividing his time between Seattle and Oaxaca.   

José Luis Hernández Bañuelos is a Mexican architect, educator, and social advocate whose work combines contemporary design with a strong commitment to improving communities. With more than three decades of professional experience, he has developed residential, hospitality, commercial, and culinary projects in Mexico and abroad, while promoting architecture that is both functional and socially responsible.
A graduate of the Universidad Anáhuac México, Hernández Bañuelos has also taught architecture, mentoring new generations of architects and emphasizing that architecture should respond to people's lives and the environment rather than follow a fixed style. His philosophy is that great architecture evolves with society while maintaining a deeply human focus.
He received national recognition for winning the 2020 housing design competition organized by Mexico's housing institute, where his proposal focused on practical, sustainable solutions for social housing.
Beyond his professional practice, Hernández Bañuelos is widely respected for his humanitarian work. Following the 2017 earthquake in Morelos, he founded Proyecto Esperanza México, an initiative that mobilized volunteers and resources to help rebuild homes for families affected by the disaster. His efforts have been recognized as an example of architecture serving the public good. 
His work reflects the belief that architecture is more than the creation of buildings—it is a way to strengthen communities, preserve cultural identity, and improve everyday life through thoughtful, responsible design. 

Messages from the Journey

An exhibition by José Luis Hernández Bañuelos

Curated by Rebeca Pareja

Phrases left by migrants on the steel border wall between Mexico and the United States become living sculptures.

Each piece holds energy: pain, hope, and the love that blossoms even along the hardest paths.

A collective poem runs through the metal.

And though the wall divides land, language, and lives, the pain — silent— is felt on both sides.

Son of Tomas Ramírez - Painting on Amate Paper

From a very young age, I began questioning gender roles within my family. As the first woman in my family to attend university, many deeply ingrained practices became more evident to me. It is often mistakenly believed that Indigenous communities are matriarchal. While women play significant social and cultural roles, many traditions and customs are designed to ensure that men make the most important decisions within the community. As a result, many women lack a voice, as it is constantly censored or invalidated. Women from the clouds is a window into the women of my family lineage and my network of support—a space that amplifies the universal desires of women, rights that, in this day and age, should not be limited by beliefs or traditions. Another key aspect of this project is portraying women who, unknowingly, have chosen to navigate these deeply patriarchal spaces on their own, breaking stereotypes of femininity and creating new possibilities of womanhood in a society that, even today, continues to fight for gender equality. 
-Luvia Lazo 

La técnica de monotipo es una forma de impresión artística que produce una sola imagen única e irrepetible. A diferencia de otras técnicas de grabado o estampado donde se pueden hacer múltiples copias, el monotipo genera una sola obra final, lo que lo hace especialmente valorado por su carácter exclusivo.

El artista pinta o dibuja directamente sobre una superficie lisa y no absorbente —como una plancha de acrílico, metal o vidrio— utilizando tintas o pinturas al óleo base agua. Mientras la tinta aún está húmeda, se coloca un papel encima (generalmente humedecido si se usa tinta a base de aceite) y se pasa por una prensa, o se presiona a mano con una cuchara o rodillo.

Características:
Cada monotipo es único: aunque a veces se puede hacer una segunda impresión con el residuo de tinta (llamada "fantasma" o "segunda tirada"), el resultado será más tenue y diferente.

Permite una gran libertad gestual, combinando cualidades del dibujo, la pintura y el grabado.

Se pueden experimentar capas, texturas y transparencias con resultados espontáneos o muy controlados, según el estilo del artista.

Es una técnica muy usada por artistas que disfrutan la experimentación y la expresividad directa, ya que combina lo impredecible con lo pictórico, y cada impresión es el resultado de un solo momento creativo.