I was born and raised on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada in the central San Joaquin Valley of California - an area known for its natural beauty and for its integral relationship to the on going farm worker struggle. I was one of six children of farmworker parents.

Farm working provided me with my first opportunity as an artist to explore all of the raw organic materials around me. It was through my personal involvement with my family and community that I learned to nurture and develop a great respect for and interest in the arts. My mother carried on the family tradition of embroidery from her birthplace in North Central Mexico, my grandfather was a master carpenter who made religious sculpture in his spare time; and my father was an amateur photographer and visual artist.

For the last twenty years, I have been committed through my work to visually depict the dignity, strength, experiences and dreams of Latina women through printmaking and pastels. My work has been exhibited throughout the U.S., Latin America, Europe, Africa and Russia. I have had numerous California Arts Council grants and have taught art in elementary school, college and senior citizen centers. I am presently teaching in an art center for the developmentally disabled in San Francisco, California.

A pioneer of the Chicano art movement, Ester Hernandez is a Chican muralist and printmaker who grew up in a migrant farmworking community. Ms. Hernandez exhibited at Chicano Art: Resistance and Affirmation, 1965-1985 (CARA) and currently resides in San Francisco California.

Ester Hernandez is featured in Episode 2 of the PBS series:
Chicano! History of the Mexican American Civil Rights Movement

For further information contact:
Ester Hernandez
1263 Hampshire
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 285-7881

For additional information about this artist visit:

http://www.esterhernandez.com/

http://mati.eas.asu.edu/ChicanArte/unit2/ester/hernandez.html

http://www.csupomona.edu/~plin/women2/part3.html

Visit these Installations/Sus Ofrendas

Sun Mad Ofrenda parte1
Sun Mad Ofrenda parte2
Sun Mad Ofrenda parte3http://www.examiner.com/981005/1005latino.shtml

****Artwork and Bio information courtesy of this website: http://www.crearte.org/esterhernandez.html ***

The group exhibition was planned in conjunction with this year's academic theme; "Chicana 2000: Emerging Voices." The exhibition, curated by a committee of Saint Mary's students and faculty will consider the political, domestic and spiritual themes of five celebrated Chicana Artists.

These artists include:

Micaela Amato | Esperanza Gama | Ester Hernandez | Amalia Mesa-Bains | Sandra Ortiz-Taylor

A public reception is planned from 5:30-7:30 pm, on Friday October 6, 2000 In the Little Theatre Lobby

For more information about this event, please call the Gallery office at: (219) 284-4655