*free + open to the public*

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Exhibition on view thru March 28th

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About the Artist

Israel Acosta is a self-taught contemporary artist born on February 2, 1986 in Puerto Rico from Dominican parents & raised in New York. His artwork addresses socio economic disadvantage in juxtaposition to mass consumerism using both subtle and familiar eye-catching symbols that ask the viewer to pause and contemplate the narrative.

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Israel Acosta was raised by a single mother and saw first-hand the challenges minorities face. In his artwork, he captures the dream that working hard, being ambitious and taking odd jobs is all concerted effort to better provide for the future generation. He is interested in this system of ideology and paints it into his canvas in the form of logos such as GE, Tiffany, Saint Laurent amongst other pop culture references. The idea that ownership of a luxury brand item as an indication of accomplishment for someone in the working class is a repeated theme throughout his diverse body of work.

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He also acknowledges the heavy influence of religion in Hispanic culture and will sometimes incorporate scriptures to communicate some of life’s lessons (Si Dios Quiere – Life’s hope). He creates a play on words for example, by replacing the R in Dior with an S, editing it to say Dios instead or paint Popeye winking with the text "If thy right eye sins, pluck it.”

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To him all these prompts depict a battle between righteous & sin while acknowledging that humans often lose their intention or purpose in life because of greed /temptations. Israel Acosta creates all this conceptual messaging and then pairs it with a palette of bright colors that he feels aligns with his Hispanic roots.

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Israel Acosta is currently based in New York and works out of his studio in Yonkers.

  

Personal Life
Israel Acosta is a long-time motorcycle enthusiast. In 2016, he was involved in a near fatal motorcycle accident. During the recovery period, he began focusing more on finding a deeper purpose in life which is reflected in his art. Israel Acosta is widely inspired by both spirituality and life experiences when he creates his works. His life experiences (including dark moments to enlightenment) and his studies of spirituality (including studies of Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, reading from Tao and more) are deeply tied to his creative practice. His work conveys universal depth of feeling that one must sit with over time, requiring a wholly individualized experience from viewer to viewer while still connecting us all. Each demands attention by way of passion.

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In 2018 he began traveling to Paris, Cuba, Dominican Republic & later Spain to study some of his favorite artist including Antonio Luis Martínez Tapia, Guillo Perez, Pablo Picasso and others.

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Later in 2019, he was part of a group exhibition in Chelsea, New York “Danza De Monarca” alongside artwork from the family of Guillo Pérez (considered one of the most prolific and important canvas artists of the Dominican Republic).

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Influences: Cy Twombly, Caravaggio, Basquiat, Andy Warhol, Robert Motherwell, Antoni Tàpies.