About the Artist
STATEMENT
My paintings draw from the strange edges of daily life, blending personal memories, archival materials, and my own photographs into layered visual narratives. With a background in theater set design, I see the human figure as the core of emotional resonance and meaning, much like its role on stage. The body anchors my compositions, creating relationships that blur reality and fiction, and shaping a metaphorical space where objectivity dissolves.
I approach painting as both a craft and a dialogue with tradition—deconstructing classic techniques not to reject them, but to critically engage and reimagine their possibilities. Each work refines graphic and pictorial methods to give form to ideas born from the surreal, the everyday, and the dreamlike. I build scenes that invite multiple interpretations, where a quiet unreality disturbs perception and hints at the fragility of the world we think we know.
Imagination drives my practice. I juxtapose seemingly unrelated objects, creating visual traps where the gaze becomes an accomplice in constructing plausible yet impossible scenes. My work subverts expectations with subtlety and humor, navigating the contradictions of contemporary life and confronting its shadows, always with the flag of imagination raised high.
RESUME
He began in the visual arts by creating illustrations and scenography for university theater during his studies at the Faculty of Arts in Xalapa, Veracruz (UV). In two decades of art production, he has been distinguished and awarded in various national and international competitions.
Recently he was granted the Gottlieb Foundation in NY, and the South Arts Fellowships both in 2025. He also has obtained multiple scholarships, such as Member of the National System of Art Creators of FONCA (SNCA, 2014) in the discipline of visual arts specializing in painting. With a large new painting project, he received this honor for the second time on 2021. Also, he has been recognized as Best Show at the 61st Juried Show of the Masur Museum at Monroe LA, and Best in show from the Baton Rouge Gallery, Baton Rouge LA, at the 16th Surreal Salon, both in 2024. In 2018. Cano received a grant from the FONCA Promotion and Co-investment Program to carry out the exhibition El Centro Único of his authorship. In 2023 and 2018, he was part of the jurors on the Selection Commission of the National System of Art Creators (FONCA), and the same year he was a juror at the Biennial Alfredo Zalce, in Morelia.
Among other fellowships, he was awarded by FONCA Young Creators scholarship (2010 and 2012) and in the State of Veracruz, PECDA (2005 and 2009).
To date, he has had eighteen solo exhibitions in Mexico and abroad and more than fifty group exhibitions in various cities within and outside of the country. He has shown his work in Argentina, Canada, England, Italy, Japan, the United States, Serbia and Sweden. Among the collections where his work can be found, the following stand out: MACO Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Oaxaca; Museo Nacional de la Estampa MUNAE, Mexico City; Museo de Arte Contemporáneo Alfredo Zalce MACAZ, Morelia, Michoacán; Engraving Collection of the Instituto de Artes Gráficas de Oaxaca IAGO; José Guadalupe Posada Museum, Aguascalientes Ags.; Artistic Collection of the State of Veracruz IVEC; Collection of the International Art Studio Radovan Tranavac Mica, Valjebo, Serbia; Artistic Collection of the Lithography Workshop of La Ceiba Grafica, Coatepec, Veracruz; The Luciano Benetton Collection, Italy; Grupo Milenio’s Collection, México City; Collection of the Jagüey Institute, Teotihuacán, Mex.; Collection of the Friday Cottage Art Space, Columbia, SC., Northwestern State University of Louisiana art collection, among other private collections. Edgar Cano moved to Louisiana to pursue his MA in Visual Arts at Northwestern State University of Louisiana with a full scholarship. He lives with his family in Natchitoches, LA, he works as a Professional Artist and Assistant Professor of Art at NSULA.
CURRICULUM VITAE EDGAR CANO
EDGAR CANO, Veracruz Mexico, 1977 -
EDUCATION
2020-2021 Master’s degree in Visual Arts at Northwestern State University, LA. E.U.
2001-2006 Arts degree in Visual Arts at Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Ver.
WORKSHOPS
2025 Frogman's Printmaking Workshop, Lithography by Brian Kelly, University of Iowa.
2016 Painting course: The Figurative Masters, by Antonio López, Museo Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona España.
2000-2001 Free art workshops UV, Xalapa, Veracruz, México.
ACADEMIC AWARDS
2026
COAS College of Arts and Sciences Grant
2025
COAS College of Arts and Sciences Grant
Daily Endowed Professorship for 2025-2026
GRANTS and AWARDS
2026
Selected to be one of the nine residents at the workshop Lithography for artists,Tamarind Institute, Albuquerque New Mexico,
2025
Louisiana Percent for Art Program, FY2025, Mural Painting for LSUHS, Shreveport, LA.
Selected by Manifest Gallery, Nude 17th, Cincinnati, OH.
Selected By ACA, Acadiana Center for the Arts, Our Point in Space (Summer group exhibition), Lafayette, LA.
Louisiana's Recipient of the South Arts State Fellows in Visual Arts, 2025.
Recipient of the Adolph and Esther Gottlieb Foundation Individual Support Grant, New York City.
Selected by LatinismoArt, NY, to be part of the spring exhibition in NY City. The Queen Council on the Arts (Element Gallery) New York City.
2024
Louisiana Project Grant, LA Litho, Litography project with 8 students.24-25.
Selected by BRG as a member since 2024, Baton Rouge, LA.
Selected at Lemieux Gallery, “And now for something new” New Orleans, LA.
Winner Best in show 61st Annual Juried Competition, MASUR Museum, Monroe, LA.
Selection 61st Annual Juried Competition, MASUR Museum, Monroe, LA.
Winner Juried Show Surreal Salon 16, Baton Rouge Gallery, Contemporary Art Center.
Selected at Juried Show "And for something new, Vol. 6" LeMiuex Gallery, New Orleans, LA.
Best in Show at the 61st Juried Show at the Masur Museum, Monroe LA.
2023
Winner Grand Jury Award Season 20, Manifest Gallery, Cincinnati OH.
Selected at Manifest Gallery, to be part of the Painting Biennial 2023. Cincinnati, OH.
2022
Representing Mexico with La Ceiba Grafica Lithography Workshop at the 8th International Lithography Symposium, Tidaholm Sweden.
2021
Selected by the "Sistema Nacional de Creadores de Arte" 2021-2024 Secretaría de Cultura, México.
2020
Full Scholarship. Master’s degree in Visual Arts at Northwestern State University, Natchitoches, Lousiana, E.U.
2017
Grant from ‘Program of Fomento a Proyectos y Coinversiones Culturales, Ed. 33, 2017.
2016
ACQUISITION PRIZE III Veracruz Biennial, Xalapa, Veracruz.
ACQUISITION PRIZE VXII Rufino Tamayo Biennial of Painting. MACO Oaxaca, Oax.
SELECTION at The Figurative Masters by Antonio López García, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, España.
2014
Member of the ‘Sistema Nacional de Creadores de Arte’ (SNCA) de la Secretaria de Cultura.
ACQUISITION PRIZE IX Alfredo Zalce Biennial of painting and engraved, Morelia Michoacán.
2012
ACQUISITION PRIZE of local José A. Gómez Ventura Biennial of painting, Villahermosa Tabasco.
SELECTION III Shinzaburo Takeda National Biennial of Engraving, MACO, Oaxaca.
Grant from ‘Fondo Nacional para la Cultura y las artes FONCA, Jóvenes Creadores’.
2011
SELECTION XV Rufino Tamayo Bienal of painting, MACO, Oaxaca, Oax.
SELECTION Arte 40 3ra. Edición MUNAL, México D. F.
SELECTION VIII Puebla de los Ángeles Biennial, Universidad Iberoamericana de Puebla, Puebla, Pue.
2010
Grant from ‘Fondo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes FONCA, Jóvenes Creadores’.
SELECTION IV National Miradas Biennial Tijuana B.C.
ADQUISITION PRIZE XVII José Guadalupe Posada National Contest, Museo José Guadalupe Posada, Aguascalientes, Ags.
2009
HONOURABLE MENTION VII Alfredo Zalce Biennial of painting and engraved, Morelia Michoacán. Museo de Arte Contemporáneo Alfredo Zalce, Morelia Michoacán.
SELECTION at MACAY, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo Ateneo de Yucatán. Yucatán, Quintana Roo.
Grant from ‘XIV PEDCA, Jóvenes Creadores. Veracruz.
2008
SELECTION I Shinzaburo Takeda National Biennial of Engraving, MACO, Oaxaca.
2007
SELECTION by ICE, Contemporary Mexican and Latin American Art, New York Academy, New York, USA.
SELECTION VII Joaquin Clausell Biennial of painting, Ex Templo de San José, Campeche, Camp.
SELECTION Artistic residence at International Art Studio RADOVAN TRNAVAC MICA, Valjevo, Serbia.
2006
FINALIST at I Rafael Cauduro International Biennial of Americas, Tijuana B. C.
2005
Grant from ‘PECDA, Jóvenes Creaores.Veracruz.
ACQUISITION PRIZE IV Sculpture and painting Biennial of the South, Centro Cultural Jaime Sabines, Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas.
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2025
PERIPLO, Art Space Shreveport, Shreveport, LA.
ROKOKO, Baton Rouge Gallery, Center for Contemporary Art, Baton Rouge, LA.
2023
CHIMERA, LSMSA Art Gallery, Natchitoches, LA.
SOUTH REALISM X, Meadows Museum, Shreveport, LA.
ARCANO'S / Mexican Consulate Gallery, New Orleans, LA.
2021
SOUTH/REALISM/X Hanchey Gallery, Northwestern State University, Lousiana / Ro2Art Dallas, Texas.
2018
EL CENTRO ÚNICO Pinacoteca Diego Rivera, Xalapa Veracruz / Centro Cultural Clavijero, Morelia Michoacán /Museo Palacio de los Gurza, Durango México.
2016 '
UNO A UNO Recinto Sede, Ex- convento Betlehemita. IVEC, Veracruz.
OFICIO DE SOMBRAS Galería OMO, Morelia Michoacan.
2014
ARTIFICIOS Galería Arte Actual Mexicano, San Pedro Garza García, N.L.
OPENNING Galería Contempo Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco.
2012
BLACK MANNER CITY Galería Thomás Flechel México, D.F.
CASOS Y COSAS Jardín de las Esculturas, Xalapa, Ver
2011 PIEDRA DE DOS CAMINOS Galeria La Ceiba Gráfica Coatepec, Veracruz.
Friday Cottage Art Space Columbia, Carolina del Sur E.U.
SIN PALABRAS / ensayos Galeria Ramón Alva de la Canal Xalapa, Veracruz.
2008-2015
ANIMALIA Galería Jesús Gallardo, del Ex convento Jesuita de la Universidad De Guanajuato, Gto.
Centro Cultural Borges, Buenos Aires Argentina.
2007
TRANSPARENCIAS (SLIKE) International Art Studio RADOVAN TRNAVAC MICA Valjevo, Serbia.
LITOGRAFIAS Galería De la Ceiba Gráfica Ex hacienda La Orduña, Coatepec Ver.
SELECTED GROUPS EXHIBITIONS
2026
Posada, Cartografia de un cronista, Museo Nacional de la Estampa, Mexico City.
Contemporary Figurative Artist, Second Story Galley, New Orleans, LA.
2025
LA Litho (Collective Lithography Project) Gallery 2, NSULA, Natchitoches, LA.
El Extasis de Benjamin Dominguez, Queretaro Museum of Arts, Queretaro, Mexico.
2o Years of La Ceiba Grafica, Ramon Alva de la Canal Gallery, Xalapa, Mexico.
Places & Spaces, Friedrichs Pontone Gallery, New York, NY.
The South Arts 2025 Exhibition of the Southern Prize and State Fellows for Visual Arts, KMAC, Louisville, KY.
Nude 17th, Manifest Gallery, Cincinnati, OH.
Our point in Space, Acadiana Center for the Arts (Aca), Lafayette, LA.
The Future Hold Something for Us (LatinismoArt) The Queen Council on the Arts (Element Gallery) New York City.
2024
61st Juried Show at the Masur Museum, Monroe LA.
Juried Show Surreal Salon 16, Baton Rouge Gallery, Contemporary Art Center.
2023
6th BIENNAL Painting Exhibition, Manifest, Cincinnati, OH.
Modern Love Vol. 5, Eje Central 425, Mexico City.
Tierra Incognita, Torre del Reloj Gallery, Mexico City.
2022
8th INTERNATIONAL LITHOGRAPHIC SYMPOSYIUM SHOW, Tidaholm, Sweden.
2021
CONTEMPORARY PORTRAIT, A national juried exhibition, LHUCA, Lubbock, Texas.
2019
ALQUIMIA, Museo del Pueblo, Guanajuato, Gto.
2017-18
DISTOPIA, Museo Palacio de los Gurza, Durango, y CEART Ensenada B. C.
2016
ARTSWEEK OXFORDSHIRE Edmund Hall, university of Oxford. UK
2015
LA CEIBA GRAFICA at 7th. International Lithographic Symposium Tidaholm, Suecia.
2015
MAP OF THE NEW ART (Imago Mundi- Luciano Benetton Collection) Venecia, Fundacion Giorgio Cini, Isla de San Giorgio Maggiore.
2015
LA CEIBA GRÁFICA Estampas de una decada Museo Nacional de la Estampa MUNAE, Mexico, D.F.
2014
GRABADO MEXICANO Galley A&D Arts Faculty Nihon, Tokio, Japón.
CREACION EN MOVIMIENTO Colectiva de Jóvenes Creadores FONCA 2012-2013, 2do. Periodo, Biblioteca de México, Mex. D.F.
2013
A TIRO DE FUEGO II Encuentro nacional de talleres de gráfica. MUNAE, México, D.F.
MIRANDO NUESTRO PASADO Centro Cultural Plaza Fátima. Mty. N. L.
CREACIÓN EN MOVIMIENTO, Colectiva de Jóvenes Creadores FONCA 2012-2013, 2do. Periodo. IVEC, Veracruz, Ver.
LA CEIBA GRAFICA Gráfica Expandida Gal. Ramón Alva de la Canal, Jalapa, Veracruz
HORIZONTES Y PERSPECTIVAS Galería de la SHCP, México, D.F.
MAKERS IN PRINT, Frederick Layton Gallery MIAD. Milwaukee E.U.
2012
III SHINZABURO TAKEDA BIENNIAL, MACO, Oaxaca.
2011
CREACIÓN EN MOVIMIENTO Colectiva de Jóvenes Creadores FONCA 2010-2011, 2do. Periodo. Centro de Artes de San Luis, S. L. P.
CONCURSO Nacional de Grabado José Guadalupe Posada Museo José Guadalupe Posada, Aguascalientes, Ags.
2010
MEXICAN PAINTING Galería Magdalena, Carmel IN, Estados Unidos.
PHILAGRAFIKA 2010: Festival Internacional de Estampa, Filadelfia, Estados Unidos.
2009
EXPOSICIÓN DE GRÁFICA DE LA COLECCIÓN JOSÉ F. GÓMEZ DEL IAGO Instituto de Artes Gráficas de Oaxaca, Oaxaca Oax.
VII BIENAL Nacional de Pintura y Grabado Alfredo Zalce Museo de Arte Contemporáneo Alfredo Zalce, Morelia Michoacán.
MACAY Museo de Arte Contemporáneo Ateneo de Yucatán, Mérida Yucatán.
2008
TALLER DE GRAFICA EL MINOTAURO CIEGO Galería Fernando Vilchis, Inst. De Artes Plásticas UV, Xalapa, Ver.
ARTISTAS DE LA CEIBA GRAFICA WTC Veracruz, Boca del Río, Ver.
2007
VII BIENAL DE PINTURA JOAQUÍN CLAUSELL, Ex Templo de San José, Campeche, Camp.
EMERGING ARTIST from Mexico and Latin America, New York Academy Arts, New York, E.U.
2005
VI BIENAL DE PINTURA JOAQUÍN CLAUSELL Campeche, Camp.
XII FESTIVAL DE ARTES PLASTICAS Bienal de Pintura y Escultura del Sureste, Galería del Centro Cultural Jaime Sabines, Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas.
2005
VOLUNTAD RADICAL XIX Semana Lesbico-gay. Museo Universitario del Chopo, México DF.
HEXA-GERADOS, Arte Joven en Oaxaca, Galería Arte de Oaxaca, Oaxaca.
ARTISTIC RESIDENCES
2025: Marais Press, UL, Lafayette, production residence wiht Brian Kelly.
2025: La Ceiba Grafica, La Orduña Coatepec, Veracruz.
2010-11: La Ceiba Grafica, La Orduña Coatepec, Veracruz.
2007: International Art Studio “ Radovan Trnavac Mica” Valjevo, Serbia.
2008-09: La Ceiba Grafica, La Orduña Coatepec, Veracruz.
2011: Friday Cottage Art Space, Columbia SC, EE. UU.
MURAL
2018-2019 PRINCIPIO y FIN Teotihuacan Mexico. Ceramic.
