José Manuel Jacobo Torrecilla

José Manuel Jacobo Torrecilla, 37 years old, Mexico City, CDMX.

A multidisciplinary artist, his work has spanned various disciplines including airbrushing, muralism, classical European academic painting, sculpture, animation, graphic storytelling, and digital illustration, where he excels as a concept artist and set designer.

With over 20 years of experience in the visual arts, he has participated in different media such as theater, film, design, comics, and urban art. His work as a muralist includes more than 160 murals, with 40 of them created for the facilities of the Ministry of National Defense.

He served as Coordinator of Visual Arts in the Iztapalapa Borough (October 2015 to 2018), where his notable contributions include participating in the Monumental Alebrijes Parade and Contest by the MAP in its 2017 edition. Additionally, he created more than 50 pre-Hispanic illustrations for the New Fire Museum.

He was a guest artist for the film “Batman Azteca: Clash of Empires” in collaboration with Ánima Estudios, Warner Bros. Animation, HBO Max, and DC, where he worked as a Concept Artist, creating over 100 background designs and more than 120 background characters for the movie.

As a comic illustrator, he has a collection of four printed works and one in production. His notable contributions include participating in issues 195 and 196 of "Revista Coyuntura," which consist of 20 pages and more than 70 illustrations each, covering concept art, digital illustration, graphic storytelling, character creation, and set design. He is also the author of the work "Olmec History Comic," consisting of 18 pages and more than 50 original illustrations, created for the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago.

Title of Work: “Fuerza Mexica Jr.”

Description of Work: This work was created as a tribute to Mexican Lucha Libre, which has become a cultural phenomenon in Mexico City, with a large base of followers and passionate fans. It has influenced music, cinema, art and fashion, in addition to crossing all types of borders such as Japan, the United States, Spain and Germany, among other countries, as a symbol of Mexican identity. Mexican Lucha Libre is characterized by its masked wrestlers, these masks have become an integral part of its identity. Masks in wrestling have a long history, taking as a reference and tribute to pre-Hispanic art, especially the Mexica culture, for the design and colorimetry. This piece makes the Mexica culture visible, represented on the front of the Olmec head with a sculpture known as the “Coatlicue”, the Mexica deity of earth and fertility. Likewise, on the back of the neck I decided to capture “Tláloc”, the god of rain and lightning, who was one of the most revered and powerful gods within the Mexica culture. I decided to choose this last deity due to the serious water crisis that exists in Mexico City, which dates back many years, which is why my representation of “Tláloc” in my work is as a plea for it to end soon. the water crisis in our country, which is a reality that requires immediate actions and more effective public policies, so that water and wrestling never evaporate from our hearts.