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Saner’s imaginary is composed of mystical beings intimately linked to Mexican culture
Edgar Flores, also known as Saner, is a Mexican artist whose work has filled many parts of the world with color and Mexican traditions. His artworks use the roots of Mexican culture and iconography to transform spaces into canvases that tell the stories of our ancestors.
His love for drawing sprung from a very young age. At the age of three, little Edgar was obsessed with drawing. In high school, however, he was faced with the dilemma of studying engineering or a career in the arts. He eventually decided to venture into Graphic Design. The career that, so far, has given him everything.
In addition, in this learning process, he also ventured into the world of graffiti, lettering, and types as a way to explore his creativity. Gradually, Edgar began to play with different techniques and urban art until he achieved the style that characterizes him today. The expansion of his work to galleries and books happened quickly.
If you’ve ever looked at some of his pieces, you may have noticed that masks are an essential element in all of them. A leit motiv that alludes to the masks in us that can hinder our self-knowledge. Furthermore, his characters are always involved in everyday situations but with that touch of mysticism and strangeness.
Masks are also a reference for Mexican traditions. Thus, we’ll see reminiscences of dances, legends, tales, and customs of our ancestors and all that worldview managing our beliefs. Saner makes street art a ritual that constantly reminds us of where we come from.
Murals and individual artworks by Saner
Jaguars, coyotes, skulls, and other recurring characters in Saner’s work allowed him to bring his art to other places. Among his most relevant piece or mural is The neighborhood in Galería José Ma. Velasco (2008); Tejedores de sueños at the Museo de Culturas Popular, a mural in collaboration with Sego (2010).
He also participated with pieces such as Saner x Sego at Wynwood Walls in collaboration with Sego at Art Basel Miami (2011); with La educación es vida at the Biennial of Muralism in Cali, Colombia (2012); Life is beautiful with the Just Kids XX Lager Project, in Las Vegas (2014); El triunfo de la cultura to Distrito Tec in 2019.
He also exhibited at Jonathan Levine Gallery (2015); San Luis de Potosí Museum of Contemporary Art (2014); Maia Contemporary in (2015); Entre Fronteras at Thinkspace Gallery (2016); 19 S, en memoria at the Memory and Tolerance Museum (2017) in Mexico City, among others.
Individual exhibitions
Furthermore, his individual exhibitions include Confessions of a Maskat Anno Domini in San Jose, California (2010); Los iluminados at FIFTY24MX Gallery, in Mexico City (2011); Catharsisat New Image Art Gallery in Los Angeles (2012); El Cenit del venado at fifty24MX Gallery, Mexico City (2012); La locura de un hombre desconocido at the Museum of Contemporary Art in San Luis Potosí (2014); In a Dream at The Brand Library & Art Center in Glendale, among others.
Other works
He was part of ASALTO 2015, the urban arts festival in Zaragoza, with Swinton Gallery. He has collaborated with magazines and done theatrical designs. Moreover, in 2016 he made the design for the “Vive Latino” festival poster. Additionally, he also designed the Master Jaguar sneakers model for global NIKE in the USA in 2017.
Also, he designed the characters for the play The Poisonous Maiden (2014) and participated in the Alas para caminar (Wings to walk) alongside Vans where he donated a pair of tennis shoes intervened for the benefit of the Civil Association of Childhood in Contact (2011); in 2018 he collaborated with Tequila Cazadores to create a special edition bottle, among other works.
Finally, you can closely follow Saner’s work through its website or her official Instagram.
This post is also available in: Español (Spanish)
