Raul De Lara

New York-based sculptor Raul De Lara (b. 1991, Sinaloa, Mexico) explores the emotive and storytelling potential of materials such as wood, stone, sand, steel, and leather. Fond of humor, magical realism, and the uncanny, he references the visual languages found in flora, furniture design, and cultural artifacts. De Lara immigrated from Mexico to the U.S. at age 12 and has been a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient since 2012. After eight years of undocumented status, he is currently still unable to freely travel outside the country. De Lara's work reflects on ideas of nationality, queer identity, and the immigrant experience. In addition to his artistic practice, De Lara's research preserves, honors, and propels forward traditional uses of wood in Mexican and American culture in combination with new developments in the global industry of woodworking.

De Lara received his M.F.A. in sculpture and extended media from Virginia Commonwealth University and a B.F.A. in studio art from the University of Texas at Austin. Select honors include the NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship, Art in America's "New Talent" Top 20 Artists to Watch, the Hermès Paris inaugural Aspen installation, the Maxwell/Hanrahan Award in Craft, the Penland Winter Residency Distinguished Fellowship, the Silver Art Projects Residency, the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council Residency, the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts Open Studio Residency, the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown Fellowship, the National Park Service Outer Cape Artists in Residency Consortium, the Ox-Bow School of Art Fellowship, the Chicago Artists Coalition HATCH Residency, the Queens Arts Fund New Work Grant, the New York City Artist Corps Grant, and the International Sculpture Center Outstanding Student Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture Award.