Latinos In The US: Artist Lorenzo Hurtado Segovia Talks Growing Up In Mexico, College Experience And Inspirations

As we continue our weekly profile series that highlights some of the top Latino success stories currently working and residing in the United States, Latin Times was privileged to recently spend some time with artist Lorenzo Hurtado Segovia. Someone who continues to get national and international fame as a successful talent, Lorenzo was kind enough to detail how he’s able to triumph in a unique and difficult field.

Born in Cd. Juárez México, Lorenzo Hurtado Segovia didn’t realize that career success would come in the field of art. Holding residency in Mexico and El Paso, Texas until the age of 14, Hurtado Segovia permanently moved to the United States at the age of 21. Graduating in the top two-percent of his high school class, Lorenzo’s original path led him to study engineering at UTEP, a university that offered him a full scholarship and stipend based on his high school merits. As intriguing as engineering was, Hurtado Segovia elected to enter the world of art after a positive experience through a college elective. This class at UTEP helped pave the way for the successful artist he is today.

Dropping his engineering scholarship and transferring to UCLA before the start of his senior year, the Los Angeles-based artist became a student of art, something that became even more special when he was able to learn under many of his favorite artists. Accepting an education from some of the top professors in the field at UCLA, Hurtado Segovia told Latin Times that in addition to his desire to succeed and find something he held a true passion for, a specific mentality he was cemented with at an early age provided him with personal confidence moving forward.

“I come from a poor working class immigrant family that never went art events,” he told Latin Times. “Everyone in our neighborhood knew how to make things, there were seamstresses, carpenters, blacksmiths, mechanics, construction workers, etc., so I grew up with the mentality that you can do it if you want to. But my path was set for engineering, being good at math and science, until I took that aforementioned drawing elective. It challenged my preconceptions of what logic is, the value of illogical actions, and engaged me in deep ways.

“It was so fulfilling to see immediate results on paper while at the same time imagine long-term projects that would take months to produce,” he continued. “It seemed abstract and concrete at the same time. There was also a real sense of discovery that I could reach, I was making something new, whereas in Engineering everything seemed predetermined according to the right formulas and any discovery would be so far into the future all fulfillment was delayed.”

Of course getting the aforementioned experience in the field under the tutelage of knowledgeable professionals didn’t hurt either. As a bonus, these professors also happened to be major influences on the college youngster.

“I’ve been so blessed to learn directly from artists I admire,” he said. “I transferred from UTEP to UCLA to study with Lari Pittman. I went to OTIS to study with Roy Dowell and John Knight. These three artists are the biggest influences on my work and ways of approaching an art practice.”

Lorenzo’s work was recently on display at the CB1 Gallery in Los Angeles and as someone who loves to see his work take on a life of its own, the Mexico native says that image driven work is what moves him in the most positive fashion, since it doesn’t matter what type of material he uses to create a masterpiece. With a recent focus on Pennsylvania Dutch and Amish art, Hurtado Segovia also noted that his career success would not be possible without the opportunities and education presented to him in the United States.

“My favorite work is image driven, it doesn’t matter what it’s made of nor the style,” Lorenzo said. “I look at a lot of contemporary painting and world crafts. Most recently I’ve been focusing on Pennsylvania Dutch and Amish. There is no way I could have been an artist had I stayed back in México. I was born and raised by a poor family who lived in a slum on the outskirts of town; nobody there had any idea one could make a living as an artist. The role Liberal Arts play at the University level completely shaped my understanding of culture and the possibilities for a vibrant multifaceted society where the arts are an integral part of humanity.”

Specifically citing the city of Los Angeles as a major part of his life and career, Lorenzo Hurtado Segovia told Latin Times that because the City of Angels holds some of the top art schools, museums and galleries in the world, his personal brand has been able to reach levels that were previously unimaginable.

“Los Angeles is where it’s at,” he said. “LA has great art schools, museums, and galleries. I think Los Angeles is so diverse because it does not have a single art cluster or center so there is a scene for everyone. I’ve been showing at CB1 Gallery in downtown L.A. for four years and it’s great to be part of that community.”

To learn more about the works of Lorenzo Hurtado Segovia and to find out where you can view his works, visit Lorenzo’s webpage which is complete with further details on the artist, various works and contact information.