Vicente Ortiz Cortez
Works from his Arroz con Popote series were conceived from the Mexican euphemism “arroz con popote” (to eat rice pudding with a straw), slang used to describe a man as homosexual, with or without any intention to offend. “He likes arroz con popote.” The series takes ownership of the phrase through installation, performance, and digital work.
About the Artist
Vicente Ortiz Cortez is a Mexican multidisciplinary artist whose work investigates themes at the intersection of identity and anthropocenic anxieties. Influenced by his catholic upbringing in the macho culture of rural Mexico, he uses his culture’s vibrant color palette to raise questions about our relationship with the natural world and with each other.
Vicente has shown at The Beach Museum (solo, collection) in Alagoas, Brazil, the National Liberty Museum in Philadelphia, PA, and at the Czong Institute for Contemporary Art (CICA) Museum in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, among others. A recipient of the 2021-2022 Silver Art Projects Artist Residency in the World Trade Center, he’s a grant recipient from the National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures. He was the 2020 Michelle Angela Ortiz Curatorial Fellow at Da Vinci Art Alliance in Philadelphia, PA, and has received awards from the William Way LGBT Community Center (collection) in Philadelphia, PA, among others. President of the Penn State School of Visual Arts Alumni Board, Ortiz Cortez received his BFA from The Pennsylvania State University, and attended Studio Arts College International (SACI) in Florence, Italy.
Website: https://www.ortizcortez.com
Instagram: @ortizcortezstudio