Alex Chavez: Figurative Paintings Rooted in Taos Heritage

Alex Chavez, an artist based in Taos, New Mexico, creates figurative oil paintings that explore culture, beauty, and personal history. His connection to Taos is deeply personal: his mother was born there, and when he moved to the town in 1997, he felt a sense of homecoming. This feeling has profoundly influenced his work, which he describes as a "love letter" to the place and his family roots. Chavez works from photo references, manipulating them to build narratives using minimal elements such as makeup, costumes, flowers, birds, or insects. His primary goal is to capture the essence of a person, aiming to imbue each face with a sense of a whole world inside. He studies the great masters of portraiture through books, museums, and online resources. His paintings, including titles like "Aeon," "Sisters," "Eclipse," "Best Man," "Aja," "Ambient Feelings," "Flower in My Pocket," and "Eva," are invitations to reflect on the preciousness of life and ephemeral existence. Chavez has been quietly building this body of work for decades, hoping that his paintings will make the world feel more meaningful to viewers. His muse is beauty found in the human spirit, not tied to a specific type or look. The feature was published on Artsy Shark on August 27, 2026, and includes a call for artists to sign up for updates.