Artepano: Chicano Prisoner Kerchief Art

Artepa o: Chicano Prisoner Kerchief Art features fifty artworks by Latinx artists working in the context of the American penal system. A pa o is a standard fifteen by fifteen-inch cotton handkerchief transformed into a work of art by prisoners that alternatively self-identify as Chicano, Mexican-American, Latino, and/or Hispanic. The artists also self-identify alternately as inmate.

The Artepa o: Chicano Prisoner Kerchief Art exhibition presents a thorough sampling of the distinctive styles found in pa o art. The majority of works come from the private collection of Mr. Leplat-Torti, who has one of the largest collections of pa o art in the world. Additionally works of art come from the collection of the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico and the Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art, Utah State University.

The Artepa o: Chicano Prisoner Kerchief Art exhibition will be accompanied by a catalog with illustrations of every pa o featured in the exhibition with annotations by curator Dr. lvaro Ibarra. The publication will also feature an essay by renowned scholar Ben V. Olguin. Dr. Olguin's essay explores the complex social and economic factors surrounding the development of the artepa o tradition. Additionally, the catalog will include an interview with Mr. Leplat-Torti concerning his journey as a pa o collector and as an advocate for prison rehabilitation programs and prisoner rights.