Caracas, Venezuelan-born and currently based in Oakland, California, José Figueroa is an artist working in drawing, photography, video and sculpture. He has studied at the Skowhegan School, Cooper Union (BFA) and recently received his MFA from the University of California, Berkeley. Best known for his map-like drawings that document (in playful detail) his surroundings, Figueroa is a keen observer of life. He is interested in the role colonization and imperialism have played in collapsing geography onto itself and seeks to revise these spaces and histories by creating a queer atlas. A self-described "impressionist" his recent travels to Paris, Tennessee and around San Francisco have provided much inspiration for his growing archive of queer spaces: clothing-optional beaches, clubs, Rupaul Drag Race viewing parties, yoga retreats, among others.
José was an ARC Fellow in Spring 2016 – he was chosen in the Graduate Fellow category.