Raul Prado Lozano lives in a sparsely furnished apartment with his wife, Maricela, and their 2-year-old daughter, Frida. He is grateful for the opportunity Gallery Vibe and other US galleries have given him because one of his many goals is to establish a reputation for himself as an artist internationally.
As a child, Lozano would copy the works of well-known painters — using oil paint on wooden boards — and sell them at a local market. At the age of 18 he began showing his oil paintings on canvas in La Estrella Gallery in León, Guanajuato, Mexico. Ever since, his work has been on display in galleries in Mexico City and other urban centers in Mexico.
In the cramped artist’s studio he has created, on a small east-facing balcony, Lozano spends his evenings doing what he loves. “Before I begin a painting, I always imagine it: the light, the shadow, the contrast, the colors. And there are times that it turns out even better than I had hoped. As I work, new ideas are born, maybe I’ll add another element to the picture or maybe I’ll change a color,” he said, “What I like best is the moment I give it that final brush stroke.”
Lozano also knows the importance of not working in isolation. “I have two or three friends who are also interested in art. They’ll come over to the house and we paint together. They say they’d like me to give them classes,” said Lozano, who does not hide the fact that he has had very limited formal training. “They teach me what they know about art, too,” he said.
Studying art history on his own, Lozano enjoys reading about classical painters. For example, Monet: “He began impressionism, but his work wasn’t accepted,” said Lozano. Van Gogh: “I’ve read a lot about his life, I like his paintings”; and Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo: “I’ve read about them too, and I like learning about what inspired them.”
Although Lozano is fascinated by the lives of these great painters, he doesn’t have to look any farther than his own father, Luis Prado, to find a role model. Prado’s work is well-known in Mexico. “My dad is already a renowned painter- he has a great reputation and people seek out the opportunity to buy his paintings,” Lozano said.
To support his family, Lozano currently works on a farm in Washington state, but the artist still dedicates a portion on each day to his first love- painting.
Estrella Gallery León Gto Mex .1998-2001
Gallery Misrachi México City . 2001- 2008
Gallery Arte XXl México City. 2008-2014
Meyer East Gallery Santa Fe NM USA 2014-2016
Gallery di Soleil Náples FL USA 2014-2019
Gallery Vibe. Naples FL USA
2019-2021
Website:
https://www.instagram.com/raul_prado_lozano
Contact:
raulfrida3@gmail.com
(509) 741-4607
