Roberto Benavidez explored his way into making piñatas, inventing his own unique layering technique that plays with color and requires precision cutting. His works in the Museum’s current exhibition, Piñatas: The High Art of Celebration, lure viewers in (maybe even tempting them to cross over those sacred museum stanchions) to take a closer look at his works of art.
Benavidez is an accomplished fine art paper sculptor whose work plays on themes of race, sexuality, art, sin, humor, ephemerality, and beauty. His pieces have been exhibited in numerous group and solo shows, and in places such as Craft In America, Mesa Contemporary Art Museum, Art Design & Architecture Museum at UCSB, and Palo Alto Art Center. And if you read The New York Times, you probably saw his work, Javelina Girl (Illuminated Piñata No. 14) featured on the cover of the Fine Arts & Exhibits section this past October. Needless to say, if you haven’t seen his piñatas yet, you probably should.