José Alejandro Herrera

José Alejandro Herrera

He was born on November 8, 1961. He studied at "La Casa del Artista" and at the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Costa Rica. In 1985, he won the first prize for drawing at the First Contest of Young Amateur Painters and Draftsmen, organized by the Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sports. In 1987, he won the first prize at the annual contest "Young Values Fausto Pacheco," convened by the Costa Rican-North American Cultural Center. He graduated from the University of Costa Rica with a degree in Fine Arts.

José Alejandro worked as a scientific illustrator at INBio (National Biodiversity Institute) for 12 years, during which more than ten works with his illustrations were published by the INBio publishing house and international taxonomy publishers. He has also created illustrations for botanical taxonomy and collaborated on botanical illustrations for the Flora of Costa Rica Manual by the Missouri Botanical Garden, edited by Barry Hammel. José Alejandro is primarily a painter, draftsman, and engraver. He uses acrylics, oils, and occasionally works with metal engraving, drawing, and modeling.

More recently, he has produced works on cardboard, fabric, and other sturdier supports such as boards or even metal sheets. These works often exhibit a more spontaneous character, sometimes featuring a single-color background onto which he traces gestures representing animals such as cats, horses, tropical fauna, and other fantasies, as well as human figures in motion. Sometimes his works are minimalist, while at other times, the interplay of colors might evoke the styles of "fauvism" or "expressionism." This is perhaps a facet that manifests itself from time to time, as a facet that liberates or relieves him periodically.

Among his themes have been fantasy or surrealism, animals with human attitudes in the environments of "civilization." In recent years, his focus has been on depicting everyday environments in his paintings and sometimes in his engravings, mostly urban, rural, coastal, and sometimes anecdotal allusions, more than with realism or naturalism.

Individual Exhibitions:

- June 1988: Pen Drawings. José Figueres Gallery, Banco Popular de Costa Rica, San José.

- August 1988: Inks. Hispanic Culture Institute Hall, San José, Costa Rica. It also rotated to the Recreation Center of the University of Costa Rica and its Regional Headquarters in San Ramón.

- April 1989: "Nosotros Mesmos" (Ourselves). Jatun Pacha Art and Culture Center, Otavalo, Ecuador.

- August 1990: Metal Engravings and Pen Drawings. Lobby of the University of Costa Rica Registry Building. It also rotated to the Shakespeare Gallery, located in San José.

- November 1991: "After music, laughter comes first," Acrítics, Alliance Française of San José.

- June 1992: Acrylics, Café "Carpie Diem," Faculty of Arts at the University of Costa Rica.

- April 1994: Anglo Bank, San Pedro. Acrylics, oils.

- July 1994: Costa Rica Hotel. Acrylics, oils.

- April 1995: "Children's Museum." Acrylics.

- April 1997: Café Ocaso. San Pedro Montes de Oca.

- September 1999: The blue house.

- November 2000: National Theater, Metal Engravings and some acrylics.

- February 2002: Baulas Room at INBio-Park. Santo Domingo de Heredia.

- February 2003: Terraba Room Exhibition Hall at INBio-Park. Santo Domingo de Heredia.

- September 2006: National Gallery, (Center for Culture, Sciences, and the Arts, "Children's Museum"). Acrylics and oils.

- June 2008: Marriott Hotel Los Sueños. "Tropical Sense of Humor," acrylics.

- November-December 2009: Rest-Arte "The Ownerless Cat," Pérez Zeledón, "Alejo's Cats Visit the Ownerless Cat," acrylics.

- June 2010: "Mal País Café," San Pedro Montes de Oca. Opposite Muñoz and Nane.

- March 2015: "Costa Rica, Country Club," "Nice Urban Scenes," acrylics, Exhibition sponsored by Valanti Gallery.

- April 2015: "Characters of the Road," acrylics at the "Brazilian Broadcasting and Studies Foundation" at its headquarters in Santa Ana.

- September-November 2015: "Our Environment, Our People," Paintings on Everyday Themes. At "BP Total" headquarters of Banco Popular located on Paseo Colón, almost diagonal to "Pizza Hut."

- November 2015 - June 2016: Exhibition of animal paintings, the paintings were rotated during the months they were there, Cavalier Café, located almost diagonal to "Servicentro Las Torres" at the junction of Montes de Oca, San Pedro.

- November 2016: "Moments of the Road," acrylics at the Sillón de Oro Gallery.

- December 2016: Urban City, acrylics at the Zabora Restaurant in Tibás.

- April 2017: Urban Paintings of 2016, Bar-Restaurant La Campirana, Montes de Oca.

- July 2017: "Colorful Landscapes," works with more colors, "A Place to Dream" Hostel.

- July 2018: Acrylics, oils, "Faces and Gestures of the Road," "Soul of the Montes de Oca District," at Café Om, Montes de Oca.

- July 2019: "Recent Works," Engraving and Acrylics on fabric, Hostel "A Place to Dream."

Group Exhibitions:

- January 1988: Permanent sample at the Teacher's Club, Barrio Mexico, San José.

- December 1988: "Fifth National Visual Arts Meeting." Museo Nacional de Costa Rica.

- March 1989: "Plurality of visions." Ateneo de Costa Rica.

- April 1990: "Fourth Salon of Young Artists." Metropolitan Cultural Center of San José.

- September 1990: "Graphic Art Workshop." Exhibition Hall, University of Costa Rica.

- October 1990: "Costa Rican Sculpture, Painting, and Photography." at the Hispano-American Cultural Center of San José.

- July 1991: "First Symposium of Young Artists." National Gallery.

- July 1992: "Second Symposium of Young Artists." National Gallery.

- September 1994: "Nordic Impressions, in Costa Rica." Costa Rican-North American Cultural Center.

- June 1996: "Costa Rican Environmental Art, Contemporary Interpretations." National Gallery.

- September 1998: "Sixth Costa Rican Art Biennial." Contemporary Art and Design Museum.

- September 2002: "Chosen to Design with Animal Themes." Central Bank Museum.

- March 2003: "INBio-Park Illustrators." "Drawing Samples" in INBio-Park, Santo Domingo de Heredia.

- March 2003: "Piano and Paint," designs for pianos in Plaza Tempo, Escazú.

- September 2006: "Biodiversity Art" Organized by INBio-Park, Santo Domingo de Heredia.

- August 2008: "Art and Culture in a Café." Organizer and participant, Café "Il Giardino," San Pedro, Montes de Oca.

- September 2015: "The Anthropologist and the Painter." National Gallery.

- March 2016: "National Coffee Congress." Painting of Café Om, the site of the Congress.

- July 2016: "Tribute to National Arts and Culture." At the Omar Dengo Foundation, Heredia.

- August 2016: "Spare Time, " Works made in spare time and / or during work hours. INBio.

- February 2017: "Fifth Art Exhibition of the Moderno Lyceum." Museo Calderón Guardia.

- November 2017: "Third Latin American Art Festival." Bar-Restaurant La Campirana, Montes de Oca.

- November 2018: "Thirty Years of the Association of Artists." Bajo el Árbol del Arte, Museo Calderón Guardia.

- February 2019: "Third Art Exhibition of the Modern Lyceum."

- October 2019: "Fifth Latin American Art Festival." Under the Art Tree, Museo Calderón Guardia.

- February 2020: "Fourth Art Exhibition of the Modern Lyceum."

Collections:

His work is part of the permanent collections of the following institutions:

- National Museum of Costa Rica

- National Gallery

- Museum of Costa Rican Art

- Calderón Guardia Museum

- Contemporary Art and Design Museum

- National Cultural Center

- Costa Rican-North American Cultural Center

- Alliance Française of Costa Rica

- University of Costa Rica

- Hispanic Cultural Institute

- As well as in many private collections.

Memberships:

- He was a founding member of the "Group for the Study and Promotion of Drawing."

- Also a member of the "National Association of Painters and Sculptors."

- He was a founding member of the "Costa Rican Association of Engravers and Illustrators."

José Alejandro has been a teacher of painting, drawing, and engraving since 1989. He has taught at various institutions and venues such as the INBioparque in Santo Domingo de Heredia, where he taught courses in acrylic and oil painting. He was also a professor at the Casa del Artista for 12 years, teaching classes in acrylics and oils, and occasionally drawing.

Herrera has also taught children and young people at the "Hogar CREA" in Taras de Cartago. He has given workshops and seminars, such as the "Third Engraving Encounter" organized by the "Archeological Museum" in 1996. He was also the organizer and teacher of the "First Children's Drawing Course" in 2000, sponsored by the "Eco Museum" of the "Hogar CREA," held at the "Experimental Farm" in Taras de Cartago.

José Alejandro Herrera

Estudió en “ La Casa del Artista” y en la Facultad de Bellas Artes de la Universidad de Costa Rica.

En 1985, primer premio de dibujo en el Primer Certamen de Jóvenes Pintores y Dibujantes Aficionados, organizado por el Ministerio de Cultura, Juventud y Deportes. En 1987, obtuvo el primer premio del certamen anual “Jóvenes valores Fausto Pacheco”, convocado por el Centro Cultura Costarricense Norteamericano.

Graduado de la U. C. R. en Artes Plásticas. José Alejandro laboró como Ilustrador científico en el INBio (Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad) durante 12 años, y en ese período fueron publicadas más de diez libros con sus ilustraciones de detalles de insectos y hábitos de estos, con la editorial del INBio y editoriales de taxonomía a nivel internacional con artrópodos, también incursionó en botánica.

José Alejandro es sobre todo pintor, dibujante y grabador. A veces dibuja, delinea a figuras derramando tinta sobre cartón.

Especialmente pinta temas donde incluye animales estilizados o en posturas humanizadas, pero también y con más frecuencia temas con alusiones a la vida cotidiana inmersa en la cuidad, los barrios, el campo, a veces con imaginación y fantasías añadidas.

Desde 1988 ha tenido exposiciones individuales en La Galería José Figueres (del Banco Popular, Universidad de Costa Rica, Instituto de cultura hispánica, Alianza Francesa, Hotel Costa Rica, el Hotel Marriot los Sueños, en la Galería Nacional (en el “Museo de los niños”), Café del Teatro Nacional, Costa Rica Country Club (CC Art Café) BCR Galería S. Schosinsky y en diversos cafés y tabernas bohemias, Además ha sido partícipe de numerables exposiciones colectivas y seleccionado en diversas Bienales como la última de Lachner y Sáenz, certámenes de La CCSS, del Banco Popular, certámenes de grabado, en Valoarte 07 y en la Bienal Convergencia en el MAC, Certamen de las pulperías de Suigéneris, y ha participado en numerosas exposiciones a nivel colectivo y en numerosas ferias del arte, de Ulises, Embrujarte, “Viva el Arte”, “Feria Gastronómica La Luz”, Ferias de Bellas Artes UCR, etc