Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - Exhibitions by Oscar Zamarripa, Ale Zamarripa, Miguel Angel Martin del Campo and Guillermo Brockmann open at Galleria Dante on Friday, January 24th, as part of this week's Southside Shuffle. Stop by to meet the artists and enjoy complimentary cocktails from 6:00 until 10:00 pm.

Oscar Zamarripa

Oscar Zamarripa, born in Guadalajara in 1949, began his career as an artist some 45 years ago when he studied Fine Arts at the U of G and received the Luis Echeverreia medal for the best student of sculpture.

He has become a man of many mediums seamlessly combining bronze, silver, resins, polymers, metal, stainless steel, wood, granite, alabaster, onyx, petrified wood, semi-precious stones, ceramic, found objects and stained glass. No matter the material, he exhibits a commanding mastery of textures, elegant curves and use of color.

He is a master of the ancient technique of estofado – a process used for centuries within the Catholic church involving a special paint finish over silver & gold leaf applied to finely chiseled wood.

He has true joy in him, as do his sculptures. "My work arises from my need to share my soul with the viewer, through images of my childhood, rescuing pre-Hispanic dances and rituals, keeping them alive in time. The cultural roots of my people are recognizable in my work." Every sculpture has a story, and every story includes a time and place in the memories of Oscar’s past and present. "For me it is very important not to forget my childhood experiences, so I have recorded them into my sculptures. They are stories that I would like to share with others."

Ale Zamarripa

Born in 1975 in Guadalajara, Alejandra Zamarripa is one of two daughters born to Rosa and Oscar Zamarripa. Her mother was a dancer, and her father was a set designer and long-time sculptor and painter. Many of her aunts and uncles are also artistic, so she grew up surrounded by artistic stimulation.

Growing up in a family of artists, Ale was instilled with a deep-seeded appreciation was from an early age. After first graduating with a degree in Architecture and working for many years, Alejandra found herself drawn back to sculpting when faced with a lull between architectural projects. What started as a moment of boredom and lack of work in her trade has turned into a passion and successful career as a ceramics artist.

Ale has prepared more than 25 new high-fired ceramic sculptures for her upcoming exhibition at Galleria Dante – how’s that for passionate? Her wonderful sense of color and attention to detail come to life in her ceramic sculptures. Ale’s first exhibit was in 1999 in Tlaquepaque, and her first exhibit in Vallarta was in 2003 at Galeria Uno alongside her famous father. Her show at Galleria Dante will be the 5th time she has exhibited in Puerto Vallarta.

Miguel Angel Martin del Campo

Miguel Angel Martin del Campo was born in Lagos de Moreno, and currently lives and works in Guadalajara, Jalisco.

He studied Fine Arts at the Cabañas Cultural Instituto where he specialized in wood and stone carving. He also studied modeling, mold-making and glazing tile under teacher Antonio Ramirez Ruiz which was the beginning of his fascination with color in sculpture.

Constant touring in the Mexican states of Jalisco, Michoacan and Oaxaca brought him closer to the magic of the original artisan crafts of those areas and the complexity of shapes, colors and narrative told in each piece. "To observe the craftsmanship of the people, we reach deep down to uncover their deepest feelings, their festivals, their customs, their thoughts. Walter Gropios summed it up in a phrase: There does not exist a substantial difference between craftsman and artist, the artist is an inspired craftsman. And I believe that it's a mix that never fully merges together. Each of my works represents a knot in the fabric that I forge day by day. For that reason, I seek to make each of my pieces unique, different from the rest. Each creation is the result of the past, present and future," Martin del Campo says.

Guillermo Brockmann

Guillermo Brockmann, better known as Pipo, was born in Mexico City and raised in Guadalajara. He is the son of a Mexican architect and an American painter.

He received his BFA from Rhode Island School of Design and his MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art. He lives in the Boca de Tomatlan at the edge of the river surrounded by lush vegetation with his son, several cats, at least five dogs, two horses, chickens and a mule, and he beautifully captures his surroundings in his paintings.

At his command, faces, dogs, horses, trees and landscapes dance across his two-dimensional surfaces with color and life. With dabs and knives full of impasto color, brushstrokes and dribbles of loose paint he builds layer upon layer of information, developing and deleting, making bold choices and finally exposing his image. Dogs stretch themselves out and look at you with their heads cocked as if reacting to your approach, monkey ear trees spread their abundant branches, lush, heavy with foliage, roosters crow, and a human face speaks to you silently.

"Creating a piece is half of its life, the other half lives in the eye of the beholder. You begin to understand, it is not just about the painting, it is about a point of view, where you stand in time and how you see your world."

Open Mon-Fri from 10 am-5 pm, Galeria Dante is located at Basilio Badillo #269 in Puerto Vallarta's Romantic Zone. For more information, call (322) 222-2477, or send an email to info(at)galleriadante.com.

Click HERE to learn more about Galleria Dante.