Franck de Las Mercedes is a Nicaraguan born painter raised in New York City. With a self-obtained education, straight from the aisles of the New York Public Library, de Las Mercedes has emerged as one of the country's most prolific visual artists in recent years.
From his provocative portraits to his large scale abstract paintings, Franck de Las Mercedes' work has been described as symbolic, vibrant, colorful, explosive and sometimes disturbing. An intimate journey into the psyche of the artist, Franck's art combines expressionism, photography and collage to illustrate the aftermath of emotionally charged experiences and depictions of how he sees the world around him.
In 2006, Franck initiated «The Priority Boxes Art Series», a peace initiative that has evolved into a movement now embraced by popular culture, mainstream media outlets, schools and art educators across America. From his small studio near the Hudson River, the artist ships abstractly painted, seemingly empty boxes with a label that reads: «Fragile, handle with care: Contains peace» to people around the world. The boxes aim to spark dialogue and challenge people to reconsider their ability to influence change and question the fragility, value and priority given to concepts such as peace. De Las Mercedes has shipped more than 10,000 boxes to countries and cities across the globe from urban and rural America to Asia and South Africa.
Franck and his work have been featured on numerous national and international television and radio shows including, LatiNation, CNN En Español, Noticiero Telemundo and Univision's "Aqui y Ahora." He's also been featured in prestigious publications including, Selecciones (Reader's Digest), Art Business News, Hispanic Magazine, SoulPancake, Museum VIEWS, American Style and The Artist's magazine.
"My work is a personal exploration of my psyche and the emotions that emerge in the present, triggered by memory or current experiences. Observing my feelings and body sensations without questioning them or intellectualizing them, allows me to release the strength of those emotions onto the surface.
I like to use the same approach when I am painting a portrait or figure. I mix the colors right on the canvas with minimal use of brushes and I incorporate the imperfections of the surface, which allows me to create raw textures with bold colors."
Franck de Las MercedesSOLO** & GROUP EXHIBITIONS
February 2011 - "Take Me Home" Francesca Arcilesi, NY. NY
October 2010 - "Abstract Pop" daas Gallery, Fort Myers, FL
September 2010 - "UBS CAN 2010 Hispanic Heritage Month Art Exhibition" Stamford, CT
September 2010 - "Expo 33" Newark Arts Council, Newark, NJ
September 2010 - :Zen Dog Gallery presents Franck de Las Mercedes Exhibit" Zen Dog Cafe Gallery, Rhinebeck, NY
April 2010 - "Eighth Annual Hispanic-American Exhibition" Union City, NJ
March 2010 - "Build a Life Build a School" Consulate General of France, New York, NY
September 2009 - "Imagen" Union City Gallery at City Hall, Union City, NJ
July 2009 - "Co-Incidental" - White Box Gallery / Francesca Arcilesi, NY. NY
February 2009 - "Hispania" - Daas Gallery, Fort Myers, FL
January 2009 - "Marti: Portrait of a Patriot" - Gallery Twenty-One , Newark, NJ
October 2008 - "My Space, a project by Cecilia Moore" National College of Ireland FSC Dublin, Ireland
October 2008 - "Ready or Not: Shirley Chisholm for President" Caribbean Literary and Culture Center Gallery, Brooklyn, New York
August 2008 - "ARTS for ACT 2008 Honoring the Late Robert Rauschenberg" Arts for ACT Gallery, Fort Myers, Florida
April 2008 - "Group Show" - On The Bright Side Art Gallery, Jersey City, NJ
March 2008 - "INFUSION" - Francesca Arcilesi Fine Art & Gallery JAC, NY, NY
January 2008 - "Art on Vynil" - Local Porject Art Space, Queens, NY
September 2007 - “The Annunciation in Contemporary Art.” - Maloney Art Gallery, Morristown, NJ
August 2007 - ARTS for ACT 2007 - Arts for ACT Gallery, Fort Myers, Florida
July 2007 - Betty K’s Mix Studio: An International Art Exhibition, FIAF Gallery, NY, NY
June 2007 - Pan Art Group Art Show - Audobon Partnership for Economic Developement, NY, NY
January - "The Art of Communication" RFD Gallery, Swainsboro, GA
December - "Visual AIDS Postcards From the Edge Benefit" Sikkema Jenkins & Co.New York, NY
October 2006 - "Duck Fever Show" Mercado, Barcelona, Spain
April 2006 - The Newark Artists Collective Presents “Touch and Feel: Messin’ with the HIGH and low” - The Red Saw Gallery, Newark, NJ
April 2006 – Human Pixel Project – Three Columns Gallery/Mather House Harvard University – Cambridge, Massachusetts
November 2005 - Artists Responding to Katrina - Time and Space Limited Gallery, Hudson, NY
August 2005 - Artists of Color Exhibition - Downeast Arts Center, New York, NY
June 2005 - NOHU VISIONS 2005 - Park Performing Arts Center’s Salon Gallery, Union City, NJ
April 2005 - "Mixed Media" The Plank, Weehawken, NJ
March 2005 - "Art & A Capella" - Weehawken Public Library, Weehawken, NJ
November 2004 - Hispanic Arts Festival - New Brunswick, NJ
October 2004 - "Lies" - Built, NYC
October 2004 - Borderlands Art Exhibit - Presented by the Office Manhattan Borough President C. Virginia Fields
October 2004 - Hispanic Heritage Month Exhibit - Ritz Theatre, Elizabeth, NJ
August 2004 - Art Pato Gallery, Miami, Florida
July 2004 - Sandinista - Built, New York, NY**
April 2004 - II Exposición de Pintores HispanoAmericanos Union City, NJ
April 2004 - "Mano a Mano” Built, New York
March 2004 - Greeley Square Gallery - New York, NY
November 2003 - Collage Brut - Albus Cavus Gallery, NJ**
September 2003 - Emerging Artists Show - The Plank, Weehawken, NJ
June 2003 - Junebugs - After School Project Space - NY, NY
April 2003 - Spring Fever - After School Project Space - NY, NY
January 2003 - Asterisk young artist project - Williamsburg, NY
October 2002 - "High Tide" - Bottom Feeders Gallery - NY, NY
July 2002 - Athens Square Arts Festival - Astoria, Queens
June 2002 - "The Works of FdLM" - The Plank - Weehawken, NJ**
PUBLIC PROJECTS
May 12, 2007 – Raritan River Walk Mural - New Brunswick, NJ
May 2006 – Present "The Priority Boxes" art series
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