A painting by Edgar Cano-Lopez, assistant professor of art at Northwestern State University, was winner of the Grand Jury Award for Season 20 (2023/24), the Biennial 2023 juried competition hosted by Manifest, a contemporary arts center in Cincinnati, Ohio.  The Grand Jury Award recognizes one exhibited work representing the ‘best of the best’ shown in Manifest’s many exhibits that year.

This year, Manifest presented 50 works by 37 artists from 19 states, selected from 895 works from 227 artists in 41 states and 11 countries.   Cano-Lopez’ work, “Mud Fantasy,” a 53 x 53 oil on linen painting, was listed as one of seven finalists before being selected as winner of the $1,000 prize in the Painted category.

“Mud Fantasy” was created as part of Cano-Lopez’ project Swallow My Heart, a project supported by the Federal Government of Mexico, in the National System of Art Creators FONCA (SNCA).

“Mud Fantasy” by Edgar Cano-Lopez

 

Work by Cano is not easily classified or labeled. He began his artistic journey as a realistic painter in a true academic tradition. His technique and imagery in that genre is flawless. In recent years, Cano has chosen to break free of the rigors and limitations of academic realism stating that, “the mastering of a technique is not enough.” He continues to search and experiment with different techniques, forms, concepts and materials to develop unique bodies of work.

Cano, a native of Mexico, he has featured his work in 18 solo exhibitions in Mexico and abroad and more than 45 group exhibitions in various cities within and outside of the country. He has earned many awards in national and international competitions.  In two decades of art production, he has been distinguished and awarded in various national and international competitions, including Acquisition prize of the III Biennial of Visual Arts of Veracruz (2016) two-dimensional category, acquisition prize of the XVII Biennial of Painting Rufino Tamayo (2016), the award for the IX Biennial of Painting Alfredo Zalce (2014), finalist in the I International Biennial of Drawing in Tijuana (2006), prize for the XVII José Guadalupe Posada National Engraving Contest (2010).

Cano-Lopez has obtained multiple scholarships as FONCA Young Creators (2010 and 2012), in 2014, he became Member of the National System of Art Creators of FONCA (SNCA), in 2021 he repeated the grant, in the painting specialty. In 2018, he received the distinction from the FONCA Promotion and Co-investment Program to carry out his larger exhibition El Centro Único of his authorship. To date, he has eighteen solo exhibitions in Mexico and abroad and more than forty-five group exhibitions in various cities within and outside of the country.

Founded in 2004, Manifest is a non-profit operated by professors, students and working artists that has four main components of focus: a gallery for exhibitions, a press for publications, artist residency for support and a drawing center for education.  The organization seeks to engage students, professionals, and the public from around the world through accessible world-class exhibits, studio programs, and publications centered on the broader visual arts.

Information on the Manifest Biennial 23 competition is available at https://www.manifestgallery.org/about/awards/grand_jury_prize/mgjp_s20/index.html.

Information on Cano-Lopez is available at. https://www.edgarcanostudio.com/.