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Chaz - Biography
Chaz Bojorquez believes that true self-expression comes from the soul. At an early age, in the 1950’s he experienced the graffiti tradition of the East Los Angeles Mexican-Americans. Los Angeles ‘Cholo’ style graffiti was dictated by an honored code of writing. Allegiance to that code of traditional writing brought you respect. In 1968, out of high school with a liberal arts/mathematics diploma, and one year of state college, Chaz enrolled into Chouinard art school (known today as Cal Arts). He also studied Asian calligraphy from Master Yun Chung Chiang (Master Chiang studied under Pu Ju, brother of the last Emperor of China). From all of these experiences, in 1969 he combined the tradition and honor from Cholo gang graffiti and the educational knowledge from art school, and with the spiritual skills of Asian calligraphy. Chaz was one of the first graffiti writers from Los Angeles, with his own style. After more than a decade of tagging in the streets in the 1970’s and early 1980’s, came a deeper need to understand, why do we do graffiti? In 1975 Italian photographer Gusmano Cesaretti interviewed Chaz for Street Writers, a transcribed audio tour of East Los Angeles graffiti in the early 1970’s. A pioneer book in the Chicano and Graffiti culture.In 1979 he embarked on a three year round-the-world experience, visiting and living in 35 countries, studying how graphics and letters describes culture and national pride. The graffiti art that Chaz Bojorquez paints today, ask even deeper questions of himself. Does graffiti have intent, purpose, cultural identity, history and create unity? Who owns the public space and who has the right to speak and be heard? These universal questions have answers in all of us.EDUCATIONCHOUINARD ART INSTITUTE (Cal Arts) Los Angeles, Calif. Ceramics Major, Painting, 1968-1970CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY Los Angeles, California Painting 1967-1968PACIFIC ASIAN ART MUSEUM Pasadena, CaliforniaCalligraphy Instruction By Master Yun Chung Chiang 1966-1968UNIVERSITAD DE ARTES PLASTICAS Guadalajara, MexicoPre-Columbian Art, Sculpture, CeramicsCOLLECTIONSTHE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTE, NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART Washington, D.C.Painting Collection, Print CollectionLOS ANGELES COUNTY MUSEUM OF ART Los Angeles, CaliforniaPainting Collection, Prints & Drawings Collection.MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART Los Angeles, California Painting CollectionUNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SANTA BARABARA Santa Barbara, CaliforniaCaridad Archive Of Chicano Printmaking In California-CEMALAGUNA ART MUSEUM Laguna Beach, California Painting Collection, Print CollectionNATIONAL HISPANIC CULTURAL CENTER OF NEW MEXICO Albuquerque, New MexicoPainting Collection, Print CollectionTHE DE YOUNG MUSEUM San Francisco, California Print CollectionTHE MEXICAN CULTURAL INSTITUTE Los Angeles, California Painting CollectionCITY OF LOS ANGELES MUNICIPAL COLLECTIONS Los Angeles, California Print CollectionMUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART SAN DIEGO San Diego, California Print CollectionTHE MEXICAN FINE ARTS CENTER MUSEUM Chicago, Illinois Print CollectionTHE MEXICAN MUSEUM San Francisco, California Print CollectionTHE SAN ANTONIO MUSEUM OF ART San Antonio, Texas Print CollectionHUNTINGTON MUSEUM Austin, Texas Print CollectionEL PASO MUSEUM OF ART El Paso, Texas Print CollectionINDIANA STATE MUSEUM Indianapolis, Indiana Print CollectionWEISMAN ART MUSEUM Minneapolis Art Museum Print CollectionUNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME Notre Dame, Indiana Print CollectionSTANFORD UNIVERSITY California (Virtual Resource Art Dept.)UCLA CHICANO STUDIES RESEARCH CENTER Los Angeles, California Print CollectionCOLLECTORS – Selected ListTHE GERALD BUCK COLLECTIONMr. RICHARD ‘CHEECH’ MARINMr. & Mrs. STUART & JUDITH SPENCEMr. DAVID LEE ROTHMr. TOMMY MARRONMr. ESAI MORALESMr. HENRY MUNOZ IIIMs. NATASHA WAGNERMr. NICOLAS CAGEMr. RICARDO ROMO, Ph.D.Mr. JACKSON BROWNEMr. GILBERTO CARDENAS, Ph.D.HIGHLIGHTS• 24 Museum Permanent Collections• 64 Museum Exhibitions• 16 International Gallery Exhibitions• Over 100 National Gallery Art Exhibitions• 109 Art Reviews: Newspapers, Magazines, Video and Books• 17 Interviews on Television, Radio and Videos• 77 Professional Titles and Logos• Featured on over 800 Websites• Artwork included in large hard cover book publication, The National Museum of American Art, published by the Smithsonian Institution. Artwork included as one of the Top 3% of Paintings in the Smithsonian Institute Permanent Collection, 1995• Artwork and Biography featured in Latino Art and Culture: The Smithsonian Institute Education Program. A multi-media educational program introducing Chicano Art to schools nationwide, 1996• Artwork appears in two historic Chicano Videos, Viva La Causa! 500 Years Of Chicano History, 1995 and Cada Cabeza Es Un Mundo, by the Hispanic Education and Media Group, 1994• First Place Award in California Statewide Exhibition, First Biennial of Mexican and Chicano Painting, The Mexican Institute and the City Of Los Angeles, awarded cash prize and Plaque Award, 1994• Freelance Graphic Artist for 15 Years, working with some of the Worlds largest Advertising Agencies: Sachi & Sachi, Foot Cone & Belding, J.Walter Thomson, Seiniger and Assoc. and numerous Movie Art Agencies.• Curated and organized numerous Art Shows promoting Chicano and Graffiti Arts for 20 years.• Graffiti Book Street Writers, Pioneer Book by Italian Photographer Gusmano Ceararetti. A transcribed Audio Tour By Chaz of East Los Angeles Graffiti in the early 1970’s, 1975• The ‘O.G. Veterano’ Godfather of the East Los Angeles Graffiti Style for more than 37 years. Started tagging in the Los Angeles River walls in 1969.• Invited to Milan, Italy. Exhibit Graffiti Artwork for the World Spray and Culture Show, 2001• Invited to New York. First Graffiti Art Auction of the most important Writers in Graffiti History. Guernseys Auction House, 2000• Invited to Rome, Italy. Live Graffiti demonstration at Murales & Grattiti, Dall’arte Alla Cultura Metropolitana, 1999• Invited to Cleveland, Ohio. The Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame Museum, presents Hip Hop: A Cultural Expression Ceremony for the Induction of the Founders of Hip Hop Music History. Panelist representing West Coast Graffiti Artists, 1999• Profiled in three Internationally televised Multi Award Winning Los Angeles Graffiti Video Documentaries: Graffiti Verite 1995, Graffiti Verite’II 1997, Graffiti Verite’III, 2000• Won Four Awards in the Graffiti Verite’ World Art Show, including ‘Best Of Show,’ 1997• Artist Advisor / Contributor: COFAC: Border Council of Art and Culture and Cultural Corridor of the Californias, Art Donations, 2002-present• Artist Advisor: Collaboration between the Getty Research Institute, Self Help Graphics and Dolores Mission in The Participation Project: Artists, Communities and Cultural Citizenship, on The Role of Arts and Culture in the Community. Sponsored by The National Endowment of the Arts, Washington D.C. 1998• Community Volunteer: Stop Gang Violence: Sand Mandala. Sponsored by the Los Angeles City Council and Tibetan Buddist Monks from India, 1997• Juror for US Congressman X. Beccera Annual Congressional High School Art Competition. Lectured at High School Youth Career Days, Art Magnet Schools, Art Centers, Colleges and Universities. 1995-1997• Artist Advisor: The Los Angeles Municipal ‘Barnsdall’ Art Gallery. 1993-1995• Artist Advisor: The Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, Artist Grant Committee, 1992-1994• Memberships: Chouinard School of Art, Advisory Board Member, 2006• Los Angeles County Museum of Art-Graphics Arts Council Member, 2001-2003• Graffiti Arts Coalition Member, 1991-1997• Mental Menudo, Chicano Artist Dialogue Group, 1992 – present• Highland Park Community Arroyo Arts Collective, 1994-1999• Axis, Chicano Artist Group, 1994-[Source:
