Having transformed the city of San Antonio with his art, Treviño leaves behind a legacy of creativity and perseverance in the face of adversity.
In the early hours of February 13th, 2023, famed Mexican-American visual artist Jesse Treviño passed away, a loss deeply felt by the Texas community. Born in 1946 in Monterrey, Mexico and raised in San Antonio, Treviño took an early interest in art and showcased his talent from a young age. At six, he won his first drawing contest, an event that serves as his self-proclaimed artistic origin story and as motivation for the rest of his accomplished career. In a conversation with Anthony Head, his biography, the artist reflected on this moment: “It was one of the greatest feelings in the world to me. I was like, ‘Wow!’ I’d never known anything like that.” Treviño went on to win enough competitions to garner national attention, ultimately accepting a scholarship at age 18 at New York City’s Art Students League, the same school attended by Jackson Pollock and Georgia O’Keefe.
By the mid 1960’s, Treviño contemplated moving to Paris to further his artist career, but the Vietnam War interfered: though he was not a U.S. citizen and thus did not technically have to enlist, he felt an obligation to do so. Two months into his service, Treviño suffered a near fatal injury, resulting in the amputation of his dominant arm. Though initially discouraged, Treviño soon began seeing the possibilities in painting with his non-dominant hand. As imparted by his close friend, war Veteran Armando Albarran, “he soon learned that his talent was in his head… all he needed to do was convince his left hand to do what his mind was telling him.”
Mi Vida (1971-1972)
On his long and steady road to recovery, Treviño began creating art like never before, starting with photorealistic paintings of his neighborhood and family—particularly his mother. Catching the eye of local and national art critics, Treviño soon transitioned into new and exciting materials and mediums, including tiling and murals. Perhaps his most famous work of art is Spirit of Healing, a tiled mural that depicts an angel looking over the shoulder of a child holding a dove. It is now viewed by millions of people every year and considered one of the hallmarks of San Antonio culture by residents and tourists alike; as stated by Mexican-American historian Ricardo Romo, “[people] want to see three things in San Antonio: the Alamo, the Riverwalk, and the Treviño Spirit of Healing mural.”
Spirit of Healing (1977)
In an interview with Texas Public Radio, Treviño stated “once I’m gone, what really counts is what I’ve left behind.” Though Treviño is no longer with us, his art will undoubtedly continue to define the San Antonio community for generations to come.
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