Querencia, the latest exhibition for New Mexico painter Eric Romero, was one of the highlights of the busy and vibrant Friday night Santa Fe gallery opening circuit. Eric’s opening was filled all night with collectors, fellow artists and family members eager to support such a bright and emerging artist on the scene.
Querencia is the title of this exhibition and it comes from the Spanish word which refers to a sanctuary where one feels safe, supported, at home and able to be one’s authentic self. Such was the case for the opening as well as it felt more like a gathering of family and friends. “Querencia is about the place where the soul returns when everything falls away,” says Romero. “It’s a meditation on inheritance, on belonging, on the invisible threads that bind us to those who come before us.” As you can see, the feeling of the opening matched the theme of this new body of work.
Much attention to the night was given to the painting, Route of Tomorrow; and at over six feet long, it was also the largest painting in the exhibition. This painting depicts Romero’s daughter leaning out of the window of a Chevy El Camino and behind her a coyote fence and vintage motel sign make themselves visible.
“This painting is about seeing the new generation becoming the caretakers of culture,” says Romero. But Romero turns and then addresses his daughter directly by saying “Here are the keys, mija. Take care of what you have. It is all we have. Repair what was broken. You have the tools. Make it your own. All I can give you is what my dad gave me. Purpose. So, work for it…”
Another highlight of the exhibition is Chola Lisa, which depicts a young Hispanic female dressed in a white t-shirt and dark flannel sitting on an adobe structure while the New Mexico landscape looms large in the background.
Again, Romero, in this painting, turns to tradition and legacy.
“We keep it clean, even though we come from the desert,” writes Romero. “We are not a trend, we are memory. Classic as the cars we drive. Iconic as the Montanos, familiar as the Adobe. Cultura never ages.”
Romero transcends the local landscape with another painting, Ars Longa, Vita Brevis (30"h x 30”w) which depicts a young woman clad in black set against a red background as a white halo-like shape circles her head.
“She is coming,” says Romero. “I see her in every museum, in the shadows of every gallery, and I escape to the studio. Brushstroke by brushstroke, I keep the darkness away. Life is short. Eyes watch. Strangers speak. Their words become noise against the silence of the canvas.”
Like a contemporary memento mori, Romero’s painting is meant to stave away the constant reality of the temporality of life. His painting practice focuses him and teaches him to clear away any petty worries or gossip and focus on what is real and important int this life—mainly family, virtue and the beauty of everyday life.
