Meet our artist and media arts teacher, Mr. José Figueroa. Mr. Figueroa loves what he does. “I support my students and hope that they can become the next future artists,” he said.
When I walked into Mr. Figueroa’s classroom, I noticed all the smiles from his students. When Mr. Figueroa teaches in his classroom, he feels closer to his community.
“I feel welcome and safe teaching here at Mission. I feel glad that the students I teach have someone they can look up to,” he said. He dreams that he can teach the next future artists and he is preparing them for “when they make it big.
Mr. Figueroa’s hobbies are traveling and being outside. “Being inspired by what I see as inspiration is a key when creating art,” he said. Mr. Figueroa’s art style comes from looking at other art and finding his personal voice.
He uses different types of mediums in his paintings such as watercolor and mixed media. He loves to draw with mechanical pencils. Mr. Figueroa is also into making ceramics. Some of Mr. Figueroa’s influences are Keith Haring, Feliciano Carvallo, and Mike Kelley.
Mr. Figueroa’s art is inspired by the present moment.
Art was introduced to him by his Venezuelan family and museums. His uncle was a painter and collector. His uncle asked, “Why don’t you pursue art as a professional skill?”
Mr. Figueroa states, “Art can speak to others. Seeing art can be personal. We are all artists and we all can learn how to express ourselves.”
He talks about his background and art being a cultural influence, “People often ask me what it is like as an immigrant from Venezuela. Colorful and beautiful; I think it is important to have pride in where you’re from. It creates the rhythm of art.”
Currently, Mr. Figueroa is showing his art at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, and he hosts events to get people to draw.
He hopes to create new art in new genres. He wants to create space for more communities of people.
Mr. Figueroa wants his students’ minds to take over when they are perfecting their craft. He believes art is like dreaming. When students see his paintings, he wants them to see themselves in that painting.
Mr. Figueroa wants to see the students captivated by the art and hopes art inspires them to be more expressive.
