26 July 27th–Aug 2nd, 2023 phoenixnewtimes.com phoenix new Times | music | cafe | film | culTuRe | NighT+Day | feaTuRe | NeWs | OPiNiON | feeDBacK | cONTeNTs | couple has a daughter, Frida Garcia, named after Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, who is also one of Garcia’s favorite subjects to include in his paintings. From faux finishes to fine art In the 2000s, Garcia met a couple who owned a coffee shop in Ahwatukee called Beyond Bagels and started showing his art there. Soon, he began to apprentice with Mia Pratt at Old Pratt Studios doing faux finishes in homes, which was trendy at the time. Garcia eventually became a senior muralist and, in 2006, forged his own path as an artist. He’s won awards and accolades ever since, and in 2018, began to study at Casa Uriarte in Puebla, Mexico, the coun- try’s oldest Talavera factory founded in 1824. There, he developed his own contemporary style. A pivotal moment in Garcia’s career, he says, was when he met Javier Placencia, an acclaimed chef from Tijuana. He asked Garcia to make 250 of his signature “Hecho a Mano” (“Made by Hand”) ceramic plates with drawings of hands on them for his restaurant Bracero in San Diego’s Little Italy. “I knew that when people would look at my plates, they would say, ‘Who made these plates?’” Garcia relates. “When he opened the restaurant with these plates, everything went crazy with my art. A bunch of chefs and restaurateurs and people, in general, started to contact me.” Now, instead of painting marble columns in McMansions, Garcia charges handsomely for original works. He’s had dozens of solo shows and participated in more than 60 exhibits in the past few years. During the pandemic, Garcia opened “arteliers” — a combination of “art” and “atelier” — in San Diego, Todos Santos, San Jose del Cabo and Puebla, although Phoenix remains his home base. The centerpiece of the 1,500-square- foot studio on Grand Avenue is a cabinet designed to exhibit Garcia’s whimsical ceramics and Talavera, with nooks sized for the plates and lidded ginger jars. Paintings and sculptures occupy walls and shelves, and behind a small sitting area with black vinyl easy chairs and a stereo is his workbench. Unsurprisingly, food is a common element in Garcia’s pieces, as are Día de Muertos-style skulls. Some combine both, such as a painting of a skull that is actually a tower of mushrooms upon inspection. He discovered his love of mushrooms while harvesting and cooking them in the middle of the forest of Puebla. “I learned about the connection with the land, the people, the trees, everything,” he says. But above all, Garcia’s work promi- nently features themes of women — partic- ularly Kahlo, but others as well. “I have a huge respect for the beauty of women and that’s what I paint the most,” he notes. José Cárdenas, who collects Garcia’s work, says one of his favorite pieces is “‘Mexicana de Corazón,’ which reminds me so much of my late wife. It’s a big part of the piece.” He adds, “It just captures the spirit of a strong woman, which my wife was, and somebody proud of her roots, which my wife was.” Cárdenas says Garcia is a huge supporter of Xico Inc., a nonprofit promoting Latino and Indigenous culture, and donates works to its annual fund- raisers. “His pieces at our annual auction tend to be the ones that get the most money,” he said, adding that one giclee in March brought in over $8,000. “The big question every year,” Cárdenas says, “is ‘What is Gennaro going to submit?’” Check Garcia’s Instagram page to find out whether his studio will be open on any given First Friday. Studio Gennaro Garcia is located at 1114 Grand Ave. Call 480-383-3259 or visit artegennaro.com. Geri Koeppel José Cárdenas Gennaro Garcia built a custom table for hosting dinners in his Grand Avenue studio. Gennaro Garcia stands next to his painting “Santita Muerte,” which collector José Cárdenas purchased. Space to Create from p 25
