Emiliano Gironella
Emiliano Gironella Parra was born in 1972 in Mexico City. He is the son of renowned artists Alberto Gironella and Carmen Parra, which allowed him to develop from a young age in an environment deeply connected to art and culture. His academic training in visual arts began at the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan between 1990 and 1992, where he studied sculpture, photography, and printmaking. Since then, his artistic practice has encompassed painting, woodcut, monotypes, sculpture, installation, and video.
Gironella is renowned for his technical mastery of direct woodcutting, creating wood engravings that often become large-format monotypes. Thematically, his work reflects a deeply Mexican identity, addressing subjects such as cockfights, cantinas, bullfighting, and iconic figures like José Alfredo Jiménez and Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz with irony, symbolism, and critical depth. He has also developed series inspired by literary texts such as José Gorostiza's *Death Without End*, Sor Juana's *First Dream*, Ramón Gómez de la Serna's *Greguerías*, and the works of León Felipe.
In addition to her artistic production, Gironella has spearheaded socio-artistic projects through her foundation , Manos Manchadas de Pintura, AC , with which she has worked with the children of fallen police officers, victims of violence, and children at risk. These initiatives have led to the Artempatía project, an artistic and educational approach that seeks to channel collective pain through creativity and empathy. This work has earned her institutional recognition, including a tribute from former President Enrique Peña Nieto in 2017.
His work has been exhibited in numerous museums and galleries both in Mexico and abroad. He has participated in international events such as Gateway in New York, the Florence Biennale, and exhibitions in Lisbon. Among his recent projects are the mural Exile at the Library of El Colegio de México, the exhibition Pluma y plomo (Pen and Lead) about the encounter between Cortés and Moctezuma, and the exhibition Cortés escritor ( Cortés the Writer) at the Museo Iconográfico del Quijote (Iconographic Museum of Don Quixote). He has also worked in animated shorts, acrylic and bronze art, and tributes to artists such as Jasper Johns, Rothko, Albers, and Lichtenstein.
Emiliano Gironella currently lives in Mexico City, where he continues to produce work and promote art as a tool for social transformation.
