Manuel Fernando Rios
Paintings Mixed Media Prints Detail Untitled
My work is linked to my political activism, the majority of it having to do with perceptions of immigration. Much of my early work was done in the tradition of the Royal Chicano Air Force (R.C.A.F.), who are a Sacramento based Chicano art collective that formed in the late 60s. Their political protest silkscreen posters inspired me to follow their footsteps and produce my own silkscreen prints which were used in immigration rights marches. Currently I’m venturing into mixed media installation and sculpture. Unlike my political posters my mixed media pieces are not blunt. Although my mixed media work is driven by my political philosophy, the goal is not to make the viewer agree or disagree with my ideas, but rather connect their own experiences with the work.