Artist Statement:
I am interested in understanding the qualities of the essence of mind that are observed during introspective meditation practices and the effects these qualities have on our perception of what we label “reality”. According to quantum physicists (in theory) and contemplative adepts (from experience), the reality that appears to our senses is made of consciousness, empty space and light, similar to the illusory nature of a hologram, a dream or a rainbow, but due to our confusion, our senses believe and interpret this radiant projection of light called life to be real.

As a multidisciplinary artist with a background in architecture and Buddhism, my work explores intangible mental experiences which are symbolic of truth or represent a glimmer of the characteristic known as wisdom.

Working across a variety of mediums such as painting, collage, photography and sculpture, the creative process could begin either spontaneously with how to use found objects or conceptually with the search for material to express or communicate. I have selected to use materials such as lace paper, paint sample cards, reflective tape, copper foil, molded paper and discarded appliance parts that when assembled are transformed into images and objects, presenting an environment that touches the subconscious via direct contact and experience, easing and calming the discursive mind of the observer, generating a moment of clarity and awareness that produces an openness in consciousness like that of a child full of curiosity and wonder.

Biography:
Pedro Morales (Los Angeles, CA, 1963) earned Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Texas @ Arlington in 1990 and a Master of Architecture from SCI-Arc (Southern California Institute of Architecture) in Los Angeles and Switzerland in 1996.

Worked with Frank O. Gehry architects in summer of 1996. Opened antares architecture studio in Laredo, Texas in 1997. From 1998 to 2010 designed and built a number of residential and commercial buildings and projects. Has exhibited Red Metal Samples, oxidized copper paintings. aerials, digital photography images documenting possible urban design strategies and Mindscapes, abstract oil paintings exploring conditions of mental and emotional states. In 2013 participated in an art residency in San Ygnacio, Texas under the guidance of artist Michael Tracy and worked as his studio assistant until 2015. In 2019 had solo show called circles of light and the cloudless blue sky at the Laredo Center for the Arts. In 2020 elected to board of directors of the Laredo Center for the Arts where in 2021 initiated and formed with artists and art advocates the Art Acquisition Project with the intention to promote, collect and exhibit art and artists of Laredo, the Texas Mexican border, regional and Northern Mexico.