Alejandro Galván (b.1990, MX) is a painter who lives and works in Nezahualcóyotl, the most populated and dense area of Mexico City. He graduated from La Esmeralda, Mexico City’s most prestigious art academy in Fine Arts in 2016.
Galván is known for his large scale paintings of watercolor, ink, charcoal and wax paint on wood that depict rich pictorial scenes. Galván’s nonlinear narrational panoramas reference the cityscape of The State of Mexico that comprises several municipalities on the outskirts of the center of Mexico's capital. These are areas that have always had a complex history of governmental neglect, violence and marginalisation. Galván combines pre-hispanic visual language and Mexican mythology with Catholic imagery. Tokens of popular culture are placed together with medieval bestiaries and newspaper coverage of disturbing scenes combined with intimate portraits of the artist’s family and neighbours.
Galván won the Young Mexican Prize 2020 promoted by the UK Mexican Art Society in London, England. Recent exhibitions include MEGAPOLISOMANCIA, solo show at Furiosa, MX, Contemporary Instanbul with Furiosa Gallery MX, Zona Maco (2023) with Furiosa Gallery MX, “Diálogo abierto: San Carlos/La Esmeralda”, The National Center of Arts (CENART); the Vasconcelos Library: the Pablo Goebel Fine Arts Gallery; Ecatepec Contemporary Art Museum (MArCE); Salón ACME. Galván is currently part of the FONCA ́ s Young Creators program.
Alejandro Galván in his studio. Courtesy No Man’s Art Gallery, 2022.Education
2014-17 BFA Painting, Fine Arts at the National School E.N.P.E.G, La Esmeralda, Mexico City, MX 2014-11 Bachelors degree in Design, National Institute of Fine Arts (EDINBA), MX 2005-08 Arts and Humanities High School Studies at the Arts Education Center (CEDART), MX
Solo Exhibitions
2025 Nocturnals, No Man’s Art Gallery, Amsterdam, NL
2025 Vultures & Fireflies, Marres, House for Contemporary Cultre, Maastricht, NL
2023 Lugar donde los escombros tienen dientes, Guadalajara, MX
2023 Megapolisomancia, FURIOSA Gallery, Mexico City, MX
2023 Zona Maco, with FURIOSA Gallery, Mexico City, MX
2022 Lejano de Todas Partes, No Man's Art Gallery, Amsterdam, NL
2022 Salón Acme #9, Mexico City, MX
Group Exhibitions
2025 Fantastische Wezens, Museum Van Bommel Van Dam, Venlo, NL
2024 Art Rotterdam, with No Man's Art Gallery, Rotterdam, NL
2024 Zona Maco, with FURIOSA Gallery, Mexico City, MX
2023 Istanbul Contemporary, with FURIOSA Gallery, Istanbul, TR
2023 Las estrellas me iluminan al revés, No Man's Art Gallery, Amsterdam, NL
2022 No Man's Art Pop-Up Gallery, Mexico City, MX
2022 Un Instante entre dos Tiempos, Punto Magnolia, Mexico City, MX
2022 Clavo Movimiento, curated by Michael Swank, Mexico City, MX
2022 Reject, Gama Crea, Mexico City, MX
2021 Artistas Invitados, Taller 1 25, Mexico City, MX
2020 Nueva Pintura Mexicana en el Reino Unido, Mexican Art Society, UK
2020 Megalópolis, Pablo Goebel Fine Arts Gallery, Mexio City, MX
2019 Art Miami 2019, with Pablo Goebel Fine Arts Gallery, Miami, US
Publications/Press
2025 Vultures & Firelies, Alejandro Galván's Artist Book
2025 metropolis m, Ancestors, neighbours, myths and religion - In conversation with Alejandro Galván about life in Mexico and working in Marres, by Kiki Martens
2024 De Limburger, 'Alejandro Galvan vertelt in Marres het verhaal van zijn volk', reportage by Rob Cobben
2023 ARInews, 'Alejandro Galván at Furiosa', by Shanti Escalante-De Mattei
2023 nexos, 'Tríptico nacional: perspectivas de la pintura mexicana contemporánea', by Juan Pablo Ramos
Residencies
2024-2025 Marres, House for Contemoporary Culture, Maastricht, NL
2023 Tan-Tan project, Guadalajara, MX
2023 the MARCE, Ecatepec State, MX
Collections
AkzoNobel Art Foundation, Amsterdam, NL
Colleccion Zazur, MX
UK Mexican Art Society, UK Proyecto Prim, MX
Grants/Awards
2020 First Prize Young Mexican Painting, Mexican Art Society, UK
2020 Young Creators Programme 2020-2021, FONCA, MX