Hugo Heredia Barrera
Most people say that Hugo Heredia Barrera is a sculptor. But really he is a choreographer…the choreographer of a dance between a most unlikely pair…solid steel and fragile glass.
To understand his work, one must understand the power of fire. Born at temperatures of over 1000 degrees Fahrenheit, Hugo Heredia’s pieces combine glass and metal in impossibly intimate and beautiful configurations. Colors and materials fuse and weave in an effortless splendor that defies the rigid nature of his mediums and is possible in few places other than the surface of the sun.
Upon encountering Hugo’s work for the first time, one is struck by a profound sense of contradiction: what should be heavy seems weightless. What should be brittle seems flexible. What should be fragile seems strong. What should be solid seems liquid. It is as though the artist discards all the rules of the universe as we know it, and rewrites them to his liking.
His work includes a huge breath of concepts and items, ranging from the most practical tables to huge abstract gallery installations, but each item is infused with his breathtaking defiance of the basic principles of matter.
Hugo comes from a lifetime of artistic creation. From the young age of six, when his father first taught him how to weld in the family workshop in Querendaro, Mexico, Hugo has worked to master the techniques of his craft. He studied Civil engineering in Michoacan, Mexico, Architectural and Mechanical Engineering in San Diego, CA. He has worked as an independent contractor in both Mexico and the US, creating architectural adornments for exclusive residences in Mexico and Rancho Santa Fe, CA, and currently does precision glass molding and shaping for a scientific glass company with clients like NASA, The US NAVY and Lockheed Marin.
Hugo has exhibited his work at galleries, museums and events throughout Southern California, including ‘The California Center for the Arts’ in Escondido, CA, The University of San Diego, ‘The American Craft Show’ in San Francisco, CA, ‘Patrick Moore Gallery’ in San Diego, CA, ‘Affaire in The Gardens’ Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, CA. He has been interviewed by numerous publications and media sources, including National Broadcast ‘Telemundo’, Fox news, Channel 8 and the local ‘La Prensa’ and The San Diego Union Tribune.
