Avila's work is indebted to the breathtaking depth and variety of the art of his native Mexico. Simultaneously weaving the story of the cultural borderlands of Mexico and Texas he inhabits with all its dynamic frictions and creative impulses. Avila's pictorial story telling seems to take off where some of the great novels of Magic-Realism end. Aided by his superb draftsmanship, Avila depicts a post linguistic reality that references the fever dreams of the great surrealists as well as a deadpan precisionist irony. Avila's take on reality is both fantastic and precise. Using his colorful autobiographical memory, he creates a pictorial cosmos that is realistically rendered, yet allows for multiple plausible interpretations. His iconic images aim to make emotional contact with the viewer and leave him "speechless." - Volker Eisele
Bio
Self-taught artist and taco connoisseur.
Raised and educated in Monterrey, Mexico. Miguel lives and works in Houston Texas.
Studied Architecture and International Relations at Tecnológico de Monterrey (ITESM).
Currently working with Art, Visual Communication, Branding, and Graphic Design in Houston.
Selected Exhibitions
Art Museum TX Miguel Ángel Ávila - fond memories. Mar 27-June 1, 2025 / Sugar Land, TX
Borges and Texas Rice Memorial Center (Grand Hall), Rice University. Nov 2023 / Houston, TX
LAWNDALE ART CENTER 'THE BIG SHOW 2023'. Juror: Dr. Kanitra Fletcher / Houston, TX
TWHS Art Trust Nominee artist for 2022. Nov 2022 / The Woodlands, TX
HEIGHTS ART STUDIOS & GALLERY AIG TOWER ANNUAL ART EXHIBIT. Nov 6-Dec 4, 2021 / Houston, TX
WITHSTAND Latinx Art in Times of Conflict Holocaust Museum Houston. Apr 30-Oct 27, 2021 / Houston, TX
LAWNDALE ART CENTER 'THE BIG SHOW 2021'. Juror: Cecilia Fajardo-Hill / Houston, TX
TWHS Art Trust Nominee artist for 2020. Jan 2020 / The Woodlands, TX
Houston X Design 2019 AIA Houston. Art by Architects at La Nova. May 3, 2019 / Houston, TX
Duelo de Espejos: Reflecting Back RUDOLPH BLUME / ARTSCAN GALLERY. Mar 30-Apr 27, 2019 / Houston, TX
TWHS Art Trust Nominee artist for 2019. Jan 2019 / The Woodlands, TX
LAWNDALE ART CENTER 'THE BIG SHOW 2017'. Juror: Toby Kamps, Director Blaffer Art Museum / Houston, TX
Avant Art - Product Runway Revention Music Center. Apr 22, 2016 / Houston, TX
Irony and Ambiguity RUDOLPH BLUME / ARTSCAN GALLERY. Mar 7-Apr 11, 2015 / Houston, TX
The Realist Impulse RUDOLPH BLUME / ARTSCAN GALLERY. Nov 17/12 - Jan 15/13 / Houston, TX
Texas Contemporary Art Fair Oct 19,20 2012 / Houston, TX
2012 Hunting Art Prize Finalist FRIEDKIN CORPORATE CAMPUS, GULF STATES TOYOTA. Apr 28, 2012 / Houston, TX
5 X 7 2012 Austin Museum of Art (AMOA). Apr 2-22, 2012 / Austin, TX
Currents RUDOLPH BLUME / ARTSCAN GALLERY. Oct 19-Dec 3, 2011 / Houston, TX
MIGUEL ANGEL AVILA Solo exhibition at RUDOLPH BLUME / ARTSCAN GALLERY. Sep 16-Oct 15, 2011 / Houston, TX
2010 Hunting Art Prize Finalist FRIEDKIN CORPORATE CAMPUS. May 1, 2010 / Houston, TX
Evidence RUDOLPH BLUME / ARTSCAN GALLERY. Nov 21-Jan 2, 2010 / Houston, TX
4 Scenarios RUDOLPH BLUME / ARTSCAN GALLERY. Dec 17-Feb 9, 2009 / Houston, TX
5 X 7 2008 ARTHOUSE AT THE JONES CENTER. May 17-June 1, 2008 / Austin, TX
INTERNATIONAL CONTEMPORARY ART FAIR BARCELONA 'SWAB' May 15-18, 2008 / Barcelona, Spain
GALERIE OPEN 'STOCKARTIST I - PLUG IN'. Oct. 12-Nov. 11, 2007 / Berlin, Germany
ARTCAR MUSEUM 'WAR'. Sep 8-Dec 20, 2007 / Houston, TX
CONSULATE GENERAL OF MEXICO 'ARTISTAS HISPANOS DE HOUSTON'. Aug 1-Sep 7, 2007 / Houston, TX
LAWNDALE ART CENTER 'THE BIG SHOW 2007'. Juror: Rita Gonzalez, Assistant Curator at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art / Houston, TX
NEW AMERICAN TALENT 22 (NAT 22) ARTHOUSE AT THE JONES CENTER. Juror: Anne Ellegood, Curator, Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden, Washington, D.C. Jun 2007-spring 2009 / Austin, TX
5 X 7 2007 ARTHOUSE AT THE JONES CENTER. May 19-Jun 3, 2007 / Austin, TX
PROYECTO DE ARTE 19731990 - La muerte del Dictador. Curated by Ramón Muñoz Coloma. Dec 10, 2006 / Chile
CONSULATE GENERAL OF MEXICO 'ARTISTAS HISPANOS DE HOUSTON'. Oct 5-26, 2006 / Houston, TX
WAVES ART GALLERY 'GRAPHIC AND DRAWING' 2006 Part I. Curator: Raju Sutar. Sep 1-10, 2006 / Pune, India
LIVE OAK ART CENTER 2006 ANNUAL JURIED ART EXHIBITION. Juror: Richard Stout. May 20-Jul 15, 2006 / Columbus, TX
5 X 7 2006. ARTHOUSE AT THE JONES CENTER. May 20-Jun 4, 2006 / Austin, TX
VISUAL ARTS ALLIANCE 23rd Juried Open Show. Juror: Sally Sprout. May 11-Jun 17, 2006 / Houston, TX
SUPERSTITIOUS STUDIO "Fight Fire with Fire", Benefit Art Show. Apr 8, 2006 / Houston, TX
1ST AMERICAN ART PAINTING CONTEST (Juried) Casa de la Cultura. Mar 2-26, 2006 / Monterrey, MX
Shortlisted for ENCUENTRO NACIONAL DE ARTE JOVEN 2006 (Juried) Mar 2006 / Aguascalientes, MX
BIENNALE INTERNAZIONALE DELL'ARTE CONTEMPORANEA Dec. 3-11, 2005 / Florence, Italy
HERITAGE PLAZA Downtown Houston. Solo Exhibition. Oct 24-Nov 4, 2005 / Houston, TX
THE STUDIO GALLERY The Everybody Show. Oct 8-22, 2005 / Houston, TX
LESSEDRA GALLERY World Art Print Annual 2005. National Palace of Culture. Jun 1-11, 2005 / Sofia, Bulgaria
AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS Art by Architects Juried Exhibition. One Houston Center. Apr 1-30, 2005 / Houston, TX
BTDESIGN ART GALLERY Exhibition, Sep 1-30, 2004 / Faenza, Italy
POLVO ART STUDIO Terrorist Art 2: Election 2004, Sep 3-25, 2004 / Chicago, IL
ATHENS INSTITUTE FOR CONTEMPORARY ART PICANTE!: Latino Influence on American Culture. Curated by Cecilia Hutchinson Reynolds. May 21-Jul 10, 2004 / Athens, GA
CAMBRIDGE ART ASSOCIATION National Prize Show 2004, May 3-Jun 24, 2004 / Cambridge, MA., U.S.A. Selected by Mr. Robert Fitzpatrick, Director of the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago.
VISUAL ARTS ALLIANCE 21st Juried Open Show. Williams Tower Gallery. Apr 19-May 21, 2004 / Houston, TX
ARTISTS SPACE Night of 1,000 Drawings, Nov 2003 / New York, NY
ART LEAGUE HOUSTON Juried Open Show 2003, (Dr Robert Card & Karol Kreymer, jurors). Oct 30-Dec 13, 2003 / Houston, TX
LIMNER GALLERY Avenue of the Americas. Juried Spring Salon 2003, April 12-May 3, 2003 / New York, NY
RICHARDSON CIVIC ART SOCIETY 37th Annual Regional Juried Art Show. Asel Art Supply Award. Apr 7-May 2, 2003 / Dallas, TX
PLANO CENTRE Selection from PAA, Nov 4-22, 2002 / Plano, TX
PLANO ART ASSOCIATION Members Show 2002. Oct 1-31, 2002 / Plano, TX
ME VUELVO A MORIR Solo Exhibition: Todo en todas direcciones. Oct 2-11, 1998 / Monterrey, MX
ITESM MONTERREY CAMPUS LIBRARY Solo Exhibition: Revelaciones. Aug 13-26, 1998 / Monterrey, MX
Publications
2021, Shoutout HTX Magazine. Work & Life / Local Stories.
2012, Michael K. Corbin, "ART FOR THE PEOPLE: A COLLECTOR'S JOURNAL", AuthorHouse.
2008, Michael K. Corbin, "THE ART OF EVERYDAY JOE: A COLLECTOR'S JOURNAL", AuthorHouse.
2007, New American Talent: The Twenty-Second Exhibition (nat22). Arthouse at the Jones Center.
2003-2004, Jeremy Sedley, "NEW ART INTERNATIONAL", Book Art Press, New York.