“Anteproyecto” (2024), a mixed media work on canvas by Pedro Trueba, is part of his exhibit, “Energía y Transformación” at the Art Gallery, Consulate of Mexico, through Sept. 30. (from the artist)
Artist, architect, muralist and ArtTour International 2019 recipient Pedro Trueba brings energy and transformation to the Mexican Consulate Art Gallery in Kansas City, in an exhibit of various works.
Sponsored by Revolucion Educativa and First Federal Bank of Kansas City, the July First Friday opening of his much-awaited exhibit, “Energía y Transformación” (Energy and Transformation), had a packed house.
Trueba is well-known for his mural work in Mexico; in 2015, he painted “Cúpula Transformación,” an astonishing dome mural at the Benito Coquet Auditorium in Mexico City.
Originally, Trueba had selected 30 pieces to show for “Energía y Transformación,” but after seeing the space, he added 10 pieces. These 40 pieces meticulously adorn the spacious gallery on the second floor of what by day is a usually bustling Mexican consulate. On the first floor, streams of documents govern the day-to-day, so it becomes a welcome surprise to listen to laughter and togetherness as one climbs the stairs.
Walking into the space, the aqua blue inundates your imagination, and the dancing colors draw you further into the gallery. Trueba was excited to be in Kansas City and engage Mexicans abroad and others. “For me, it’s indispensable to meet new audiences and see their reaction,” he said. “These are indicators to see how my art is doing.”
The exhibit includes some of Trueba’s early realist paintings rooted in his ethnic Jarocho identity (referring to his origins in the state of Veracruz). This is illustrated in works like “Volador de la suerte,” where cloudy powder blue skies become the background of an Indigenous man hanging upside down, rope wrapping one leg. Anyone with a Mexican identity quickly recognizes the ceremonial aspect of this painting. Many more paintings depict boats and the movement of water, which Trueba masterfully conveys as an homage to his coastal heritage.
The gallery sections into intimate pockets, and the textures of fiery oils transform each into familiar spaces away from home. The acrylic jumps from wall to wall, drawing a path; the curation gives life to misty watercolors, reminding the viewer of an artist’s capacity to exist in multiple dimensions.
The exhibit opening included a brief presentation from Consul Soileh Padilla Mayer and other community partners emphasizing the importance of art in communities. “It transcends borders and speaks about our shared humanity,” said First Federal community development director Sandra Olivas.
Christy Moreno, who serves as the chief advocacy and impact officer at Revolucion Educativa, said that they were proud to support this exhibition: “Our communities are either ignored or pushed away from things like this . . . we have to show up, we have to show our power by sponsoring events like this,” she said. “One organization can make a wave, many organizations coming together, we make tsunamis for change.”
Trueba’s exhibition, showcasing a journey through his mind and an aqueous trajectory of living out his dreams to make and share art, is an apt rallying point. “Art cures, in all of its expressions,” he said. “I am sure if all humans were involved in arts we would have a better world.”
“Pedro Trueba: Energía y Transformación” continues at the Art Gallery, Consulate of Mexico, 1617 Baltimore Ave., through Sept. 30. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, 816.556.0800 or consulmex.sre.gob.mx/kansascity.
