From Erin Cluley Gallery:

“History is subjective,” writes Baltimore-based artist, René Treviño, “there are many blurred lines and so much distortion.” Until recently, history was thought of as an objective account of the past, impartial to the biases of its writers—of course, this objectivity is only one of its many problematic “distortion(s).” In his work, Treviño refutes the monolithic narrative of Western history, pointing out its alliance with an oppressive status quo: “As a gay Mexican-American I have always felt excluded and under-represented by history,” writes Treviño. His paintings of Mayan and Mexica artifacts reference queer sensibilities alongside Mesoamerican cultural traditions. Incorporating a vibrant color palette, Treviño’s work taps into the joy of reimagining history through restorative storytelling.

René Treviño’s artistic practice draws on a diverse range of influences, from American pop culture to Mesoamerican belief systems and imagery. His repetition of subjects, varying in color and tone, allows his work to inhabit multiple spheres of interpretation at once. Throughout his career, Treviño’s work has engaged with the many facets of his identity. As such, his unique mixture of queer aesthetics and Mexican-American culture speaks to his own experiences as well as liberating futures with others.

The title of René Treviño’s solo exhibition, Flare, plays with the homophones, flair, and flare, capturing the eccentric and incendiary subjects of his newest work. Featuring 50+ hand-painted works, Flare continues Treviño’s exploration of natural and cultural histories. His paintings of solar flares and moon phases speak to humanity’s fascination with space and the unknown. A series of 35 painted deer heads and skulls adorned with embroidered flower crowns showcase Treviño’s unique take on a still-life—replacing rotting fruit and polished silver with references to Mexican and American culture. Collectively, the work in Flare translates abstract interpretations of the human condition into an accessible and spirited dialogue with viewers.

Flare will be the artist’s fourth solo exhibition with Erin Cluley Gallery. Treviño’s first exhibition at the gallery was in 2014.

René Treviño was born in Kingsville, Texas. He received his BFA in Fine Arts from the School of Visual Arts (SVA) in 2003 and his MFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) in 2005.

Treviño’s work has been exhibited at the Wadsworth Athenaeum (Hartford, CT), Baltimore Museum of Art (Baltimore, MD), Phillips Museum of Art (Lancaster, PA), Kentucky College of Art + Design (Louisville, KY), Walters Art Museum (Baltimore, MD), Goliath Visual Space (Brooklyn, NY), White Box (New York City, NY), Delaware Center for Contemporary Art (Wilmington, DE), Arlington Arts Center (Arlington, VA), the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture (Baltimore, MD). In collaboration with the Old Jail Art Center in Albany, TX he was awarded an Art Works Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts in 2018. His work was included in the 2007 WPA/Corcoran OPTIONS Biennial in Washington DC. He is the recipient of a 2021 Baker Artist Award, a 2009 Baltimore Creative Fund Individual Artist Grant and won the 2009 Trawick Prize. His first museum survey will open in 2022 at the Wellin Museum of Art in Clinton, NY.

Treviño has been an artist-in-residence at the Fine Arts Work Center (Provincetown, MA), the Creative Alliance (Baltimore, MD), AIR Serenbe (Serenbe, GA), the Studios of Key West (Key West, FL), and the Virginia Center for Contemporary Art (Amherst, VA).

His work has been featured in Art Papers, New American Painters, Baltimore Sun, Baltimore City Paper, Philadelphia Enquirer, Washington Blade, Washington Post, Dallas Observer, and D Magazine as well as several online publications. Treviño currently lives and works in Baltimore, Maryland.

Erin Cluley Gallery is a contemporary art gallery representing emerging, mid-career, and established artists from Dallas and the United States. The gallery presents a provocative program of artists working in both traditional and alternative forms including painting, sculpture, new media, photography, sculptural installation and public intervention.

In 2014, Erin Cluley Gallery ignited a creative movement in West Dallas acting as a hub for visual arts and community engagement. After nearly five years on Fabrication Street, the gallery has moved its operation to Riverbend – a development in Dallas’ Design District celebrating the intersection between culture and commerce.

In April 2021, Cluley opened Cluley Projects – a satellite location in West Dallas acting as an incubator space focusing on regional artists and providing a platform for discovery and mentorship.