ARTIST BIOGRAPHY
Josias Figueirido is a Spanish artist currently based in Laredo, Texas. He holds an MFA from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, a Post-Graduate Diploma in Drawing from the Royal Drawing School in London, and a BA in Fine Arts from London Metropolitan University.
Primarily a painter, Figueirido’s work merges digital and analogy technologies to delve into narratives surrounding friendship, community, and belonging. In 2022, his experiences living and working on the US-Mexico border inspired the creation of his signature fictional characters, Piri the Dreamer and Flying Coyote. These cartoon figures embody a fusion of ideas related to migration, immigration, biographical events, and personal experiences.
Figueirido has participated in residencies at numerous institutions, including EMAR by Collar Works, Wassaic Project, Millay Arts, Hambidge Centre for Creative Arts and Sciences, Vermont Studio Centre, Moritz-Heyman, Dumfries House, and the Fabric Workshop and Museum’s Postgraduate Apprentice Program. His work has been exhibited in the United States, Europe, Asia, and Australia. He received the 2019 Cindi Royce Ettinger Fellowship from Second State Press and a 2021 Challenge America Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts for a collaborative project. His work is held in private and public collections, including the Horseman Collection of American Art and the Francisco Fernandez del Riego Museum.
EDUCATION
2017 MFA, The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts (PAFA) – Philadelphia, PA
2010 PGDip in Drawing, The Royal Drawing School – London, UK
2008 BA Fine Art, London Metropolitan University – London, UK
EXHIBITIONS
2024 ‘The Garden Ladders’ – Seton Hill University – Greensberg, PA
2024 Summer Blooms Online Exhibition, Ivester Contemporary, Texas, USA
2024 ‘Encounters In The Garden’ – Invester Contemporary – Austin Texas
2022 Instagram Live Group Show, 19 Karen Contemporary Artspace, Mermaid Beach Australia
2022 BarbantiaRte VIII, Museum of Engraving (Fundartes – Fundacion Museo de Artes) Ribeira, Spain
2022 @abstractduke 12 x 12 project, Smythe-Mckee (Virtual Exhibition) – Philadelphia, PA
2022 NEW pAGE, Artoftmrw Paperwork Exhibition (Virtual), Art of Tomorrow – Tel Aviv, Israel
2021 BORDERWALLS IV, The Border Project Space – New York, NY
2021 Work Behind the Work, Demuth Museum- Lancaster, PA
2021 For The Many Not The Few, Guts Gallery – London, UK
2021 Virtual Group Exhibition (February 22nd – March 8th), Zebra One Gallery – London, UK
2021 Think Fast (Faculty Show), Texas A&M International University – Laredo, TX
2021 Let There Be Light, Louis J. Blume Library Gallery, St. Mary’s University – San
2021 Antonio, TX
2020 All Dressed Up with Nowhere to Go, Steven Zevitas Gallery – Boston, MA
2020 BarbantiaRte_VII, Museum of Engraving (Fundartes – Fundacion Museo de Artes) Ribeira, Spain
2020 Artist in the Time of Coronavirus (Virtual Exhibition), Artblog – Philadelphia, PA
2019 New American Paintings 2019 Review: Part 2, Steven Zevitas Gallery – Boston, MA
2019 An Inherently Hopeful Gesture (Curated by Bill Scott), Cerulean Arts – Philadelphia, PA
2019 Flower in the Snow (Curated by Sam Jones), Automat – Philadelphia, PA
2018 BarbantiaRte_VI, Museum of Engraving (Fundartes – Fundacion Museo de Artes) – Ribeira, Spain
2018 Faculty Biennial, PCA&D – Lancaster, PA
2018 Pratt and Pafa, Old City Jewish Art Center – Philadelphia, PA
2017 Playbook, On Stellar Rays – New York, NY
2017 Thesis Exhibition, PAFA – Philadelphia, PA
2017 Surface Forms, The Fabric Workshop and Museum – Philadelphia, PA
2017 Way of Light, FMC Tower – Philadelphia, PA
2017 Good Fellows, Gallery 128, PAFA – Philadelphia, PA
2016 Summer Show, Marginal Utility Gallery – Philadelphia, PA
2016 Wars & Rumors of Wars, Gallery 128, PAFA – Philadelphia, PA
2016 Future’s Past, Gallery 128, PAFA – Philadelphia, PA
2015 Apprentice Training Program Banners Summer 2015, The Fabric Workshop and Museum – Philadelphia, PA
2015 Entre Mares, Lustres Rivas de Riveira Cultural Center – Ribeira, Spain
2015 Rear Window, Mile Space, 103 Allen Street – NYC, USA
2014 Barbantiarte III, Museum of Engraving and Digital Print – Ribeira, Spain
2013 Summer Exhibition, The Royal Academy of Art – London, UK
2013 Barbanza Arte I, Museum of Engraving and Digital Print – Ribeira, Spain
2013 Atlante, Museum of Engraving and Digital Print – Ribeira, Spain
2011 X International Visual Arts Contest Ourense, Marcos Valcarcel Cultural Center – Ourense, Spain
2010 Genesis, West Ferry Studios & St. Paul’s Shadwell – London, UK
2010 Paintings of Lybster, North Glass Creative Glass – Lybster-Caithness, Scotland
2010 Drawing London’s River, The Brunel Museum – London, UK
2009 Earling Art Festival, St. Barnabas Church – London, UK
2008 Drawntogether, Red Church Street Gallery – London, UK
AWARDS
2021 NEA, Challenge America: Arts Engagement in American Communities,
2022 (Collaborative project with ceramist Emily Bayless)
2020 University Creative Project Grant, Texas A&M International University – Laredo, TX
2017 The Horseman Collection Purchase Prize, Philadelphia, PA
FMC Tower Curator’s Award, FMC Tower, Philadelphia, PA
2017 Fine Arts Venture Fund, PAFA – Philadelphia, PA
2011 Antonio Quesada Painting Prize, Francisco Fernandez del Riego Museum – Vigo, Spain
2010 Paintings in Hospitals Purchase Prize, External Assessment Board, The Royal Drawing
School – London, UK
RESIDENCIES & FELLOWSHIPS
2021 Millay Arts – Austerlitz, NY
Creative Imperative Program (virtual), Vermont Studio Center – Johnson, VT
2020 Hambidge Center for Creative Arts & Sciences – Rabun Gap, GA
2019 Vermont Studio Center – Johnson, VT
2018 Moritz-Heyman Artist Residency – Pignano, Tuscany, Italy
CRE Fellowship, Second State Press, Philadelphia PA
2016 Dumfries House – East Ayrshire, Scotland
2015 Post-Graduate Apprentice Program, Fabric Workshop and Museum – Philadelphia, PA
SOLO AND TWO-PERSON EXHIBITIONS
2021 Pelea en el estudio, Estudio Abierto Vigo – Vigo, Spain
2020 [Two-Person Exhibition] Shin Haus, Shin Gallery – NY
2020 Anything Goes As Long As It’s A Joke, C.R. Ettinger – Philadelphia, PA
2019 Portal: Governors Island (formerly Governors Island Art Fair) – New York, NY
2019 Prints and Process: Josias Figueirido, Second State Press – Philadelphia, PA
2018- Give Me a Light That I May Walk Safely into the Unknown, Marginal Utility –
2017 Philadelphia, PA
2014 Nuevos Bosques, O Faiado – Ribeira (Coruña), Spain
2012 Josias Figueirido, Circulo Mercantil Cultural Center – Vigo, Spain
2011 Dende as Alturas, The Youth House Gallery – Vigo, Spain
2011 Unha Cidade en Constante Cambio, Teis Civic Center – Vigo, Spain
2011 [Two-Person Exhibition] On the Path, Great Bealings Hall – Suffolk, UK
COLLECTIONS
The John & Susan Horseman Collection of American Art – St. Louis, MO
Dumfries House – East Ayrshire, Scotland
The Fabric Workshop and Museum – Philadelphia, PA
Galician Art Collection, Francisco Fernandez del Riego Museum – Vigo, Spain
Paintings in Hospitals Collection – London, UK
Royal Drawing School – London, UK
PUBLICATIONS AND INTERVIEWS
2022 Iterant Mag, Art, Issue #7, Ruth Stone House – Goshen, VT
2021 Art of Tomorrow, Artist Talk – Tel Aviv, Israel
https://www.artoftmrw.com/josias-figueirido
Spotlight Magazine, issue 23, Published by Circle Foundation for the Arts – Lyon, France
2020 Art IDEAL Magazine, Issue 1, Published by Circle Foundation for the Arts – Lyon,
France, https://circle-arts.com/artideal-1/
Past Lives, Risolve Studio – Lancaster, PA
Royal Drawing School Blog, https://www.royaldrawingschool.org/blog/internationalartists-lockdown-usa-and-israel/
2019 New American Paintings, No. 140, Northeast Issue.
2017 PAFA Alumni Stories https://www.pafa.org/stories/josias-figueirido
RELATED EXPERIENCE
2021 An Untitled Trio of Drawing and Movement, Collaborative Performance. Choreography by Jee Eun Ahn and Tim Rubel. Performed by Jee Eun Ahn, Josias Figueirido, and Tim Rubel. Drawing by Josias Figueirido. 11/19/21 & 11/20/21, Texas A&M International University – Laredo, Texas
2021 Visiting Critic, Penn State Abington, 11/15/21 – Philadelphia, PA
2021 The Living Mural: Collaborative Faculty Research, Brown-Bag Colloquium Series and Grant-Getting Seminar, 8/13/21, Texas A&M International University – Laredo, Texas
2021 Reinterpretation as a Creative Strategy, In-service Workshop for the teachers of the United Independent School District, 8/10/21 – Laredo, Texas
2021 Judge for UISD Fine Arts Fiesta Art Contest – Laredo, Texas
2021 In-service Virtual Presentation, 1/5/21, United Independent School District, Fine Arts Department – Laredo, Texas
2017 Visiting Artist (Fine Art Department) 10/13/17, PCA&D – Lancaster, PA
2019 Artist Talk, 6/27/17, FMC Tower – Philadelphia, PA
2016 Assistant Printer for Dan Miller, edition of 25 prints by Gene Shaw, PAFA – Philadelphia, PA
2011 Assistant Writer, Francisco Fernandez del Riego Museum – Vigo, Spain
