EL PASO, TX.- El Paso Museum of Art, in partnership with PROArtes México, presents COYOTEK, a solo exhibition by nationally and internationally celebrated Mexican-American artist Jorge Rojas.
Jorge Rojas is a multidisciplinary artist born in Morelos, México, and based in Salt Lake City, Utah. His distinctive artistic practice is shaped by his constant movement between Mexico and the United States. His frequent travel within and outside these countries has led him to develop a universal visual language and an experimental approach to Art.
The title Coyotek is a term coined by Rojas combining coyote and technology. It reflects Rojas's interests in borders, immigration policy, new media, and digital communication. Coyotek encapsulates the essence of Rojas's work, bridging ideas and concepts across cultures and creating a sense of connection.
Coyotek investigates Rojas's conceptual and often political work, inspired by spiritual histories, abuses of power, interpretations of ancient rites, and human interconnectedness. Overall, Coyotek showcases Rojas's diverse artistic practice, featuring a selection of his work, including photography, performance videos, installations created over the past two decades, and several new works shown for the first time. His work aims to build bridges of understanding between cultures, fostering a flow and exchange of ideas that resonate with people from all walks of life.
In the artist's statement for this exhibition, Rojas said, "I'm interested in Art that creates opportunities for bringing people together and provoking public engagement, action, and participation across political, geographical, and ideological borders. My practice delves into realms of the personal and the public, drawing inspiration from lived and shared experiences as a Mexican immigrant living in the United States. Through my work, I hold space that invites sharing, intimacy, joy, protest, and empowerment, collaborating with communities toward social and racial justice. Coyotek embodies the spirit of my work, identity, and the concepts I explore, including migration, mestizaje, ancestral knowledge, magic, and spirituality."
PROArtes México's co-founder Peter Hay says, "We are honored to partner with the El Paso Museum of Art to present this exhibition of Jorge Rojas's important and timely work. Jorge Rojas is a visionary artist who bridges tradition and innovation by exploring identity, culture, and social connection. Renowned for his dynamic performances, participatory works, and installations, Rojas integrates ancestral practices with contemporary media to create thought-provoking and immersive experiences. His dedication to community engagement and cultural dialogue has cemented him as a significant voice in contemporary Art."
Jorge Rojas: COYOTEK is organized by PROArtes México in partnership with the El Paso Museum of Art. We are grateful for the generous support from the Mellon Foundation, the National Endowment of the Arts, the Texas Commission on the Arts, the El Paso Museum of Art Foundation, and the City of El Paso Museums and Cultural Affairs Department, which has made this exhibition possible.
Jorge Rojas (b. Morelos, México) is a recognized multidisciplinary artist, performer, curator, and museum educator based in Salt Lake City, Utah. He studied Art at the University of Utah and Bellas Artes in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Rojas uses visual Art, performance, and social engagement to examine cultural, social, and mediated forms of communication and art production. His work has been exhibited nationally and internationally in multiple museums, galleries, and public spaces, and is included in numerous private and public collections, including The Mexican Museum, San Francisco; Museum of Latin American Art, Long Beach; New Jersey State Museum, Trenton; State of Utah Alice Merrill Horne; and Salt Lake County Art Collections. In 2009, Rojas founded Low Lives, an international, multi-venue live streaming performance festival, where he served as director, producer, and curator, worked with over 200 artists in 25 countries, and collaborated with directors and curators from more than 30 partner organizations in 12 countries. From 2015-2021, Rojas served as director of learning and engagement at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts, overseeing education, community engagement, and programming initiatives for the Museum. Artists of Utah/15 Bytes named Rojas one of Utah's Most Influential Artists in 2019, and in 2020, he was included in the Immigrant Artist Biennial out of NYC. In 2022, he was selected as a Visual Arts Fellow for the Utah Division of Arts & Museums and received the Salt Lake City Mayor's Artist Award. In 2024, he received a National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures (NALAC) Fund for the Arts award. Rojas' combined practice as an artist, curator, and educator aligns with his passion for working with communities and arts institutions toward social, racial, and cultural justice.
