HEBÉ GARCÍA FINE ARTS

Hebé García, a painter and sculptor from Puerto Rico, has been living and working in Abiquiu since 2015. She studied painting and etching at Louisiana State University, graduating cum laude with a BA in Fine Arts, before returning to Puerto Rico to begin her career as a painter. “I have painted all my life,” she says, “and that was what I became known for in the Puerto Rican art world; clay was something I was drawn to explore later on.”

In 2013 she and her husband visited Abiquiu for the first time. “I had never been to New Mexico and immediately felt at home here,” she recalls. Two years later, she and her husband moved to Abiquiu, building a house and studio on top of a scenic mesa with stunning 360-degree views. “We love it here,” she says. “The multicultural society is very much like Puerto Rico, and the artistic community has been welcoming and supportive—and, of course, the landscape is stunning and inspiring.”

Focusing on aspects of our human life journey is central to García’s work in her painting and sculpture. She specializes in series of works around a single theme with such simple titles as The Walk, The March, or The Conversation. “I use that as a teaser to draw people in,” she explains. “Everyone interprets art based on their own experiences. People see what they see, and I’m always encouraging people to look more deeply into each piece to find their own story.”