Finalist
A master of acrylic airbrushed paintings, Gaspar Enriquez has for many decades created paintings that focus on Chicano identity. His work ranges from large-scale, wall-sized work to small illustrations focusing on Mexican American life, and subjects who range from neighbors to celebrities. Often his portraits depict fellow artists and others from his community in El Paso and beyond. This large likeness of Los Angeles painter John Valadez is part of an ongoing project called De Puro Corazon (Pure Heart) , which includes portraits of artists he admires for their passionate dedication to their practice. Created in a gray scale, reflecting its photographic source, the portrait is a confrontational image, capturing the dramatic intensity of his friend.