Rolando Chicas

Artist statement
Biography
Exhibitions
Recognitions
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I paint from a need to understand what words cannot always express: fragility, belonging, tenderness, and displacement. My work delves into human vulnerability, migration, and the emotional connections that bind us to others and ourselves.

I primarily work with oil paint, embracing a sober and restrained aesthetic. My paintings often feature human figures in animal pajamas and animals—such as rabbits, dogs, and horses—engaged in human actions. These serve as metaphors for affection, freedom, and inner dignity. The figures exist in suspended spaces, where silence and stillness invite introspection. Some transform into houses—living spaces in perpetual motion, connecting with one another like bodies seeking belonging.

My intention is not to illustrate narratives but to evoke an intimate resonance. Each piece is an invitation to pause, observe, and dwell within emotion. I paint to give form to what hurts, what is yearned for, what endures—and what is loved.

Rolando Ernesto Chicas Alfaro (El Salvador, 1989) is a Salvadoran visual artist whose work explores human vulnerability, migration, and the intricate relationships people have with themselves and others. His oil paintings often feature human figures in animal pajamas and animals—primarily rabbits, dogs, and horses—engaged in human actions, serving as symbols of tenderness, strength, and freedom.

Chicas has received artistic training in the United States, at the University of El Salvador, and at the European University of the Atlantic (Spain), building a career defined by a continuous search for meaning and emotional connection.

His works have been exhibited and acquired by several national and international collections, including the China International Cultural Association (China), the University of El Salvador, the Museum of the Word and Image, and the Benetton Foundation (Italy). Additionally, one of his sculptures is part of the Peace Park in Guatemala City, an official donation from the Government of El Salvador to the Government of Guatemala.

Currently, Chicas serves as the Director of the Centro Nacional de Artes (CENAR), where he combines his artistic endeavors with the education and mentorship of a new generation of creators.