I first encountered Abraham Mojica as a waiter rather than a writer. The restaurant was Starfish, the short-lived but unforgettable sea-fare spin-off of Azuca, owned by paternal restaurateur, Rene Fernandez, and cheffed by his son, Diego. Starfish had commissioned a handful of artists to enliven the space; Mojica’s contribution was several wall-spanning piscine scenes painted upon wood recovered from old pallets. A dabbler in carpentry as well, he also hand-fabricated a wine rack for the restaurant that, contrary to my unspoken worries, successfully held up a few hundred pounds of wine.
Originally from Guadalajara, he has been creating art in San Antonio for eight years, not only on canvas, but in sculpture, jewelry, functional pieces, and song. His works have found their way across the globe, even into collections in Europe and Asia.
On Thursday, Mojica will be unveiling Bailarinas, a new exhibit at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) at San Antonio, a stone’s throw south of the Tower of the Americas in Hemisfair Park. Primarily a language school, UNAM San Antonio regularly promotes rising artists, and hosts seminars and symposia of the humanities as well.
The series is a collection of old and new works of acrylic and oil on canvas.
“Bailarinas” opens 7 p.m. on Thursday, July 6, at UNAM San Antonio, 600 Hemisfair Plaza Way.