Oscar Magallanes - prints and biography

Oscar Magallanes (b. 1976, Duarte, California) is a contemporary Chicano artist whose work draws deeply from the cultural, political, and visual traditions of his community. Reflecting on his earliest encounters with art, Magallanes recalls that his first inspirations were not found in galleries or museums, but on the walls of his neighborhood: murals of Emiliano Zapata, Mexica glyphs, Chicano movement imagery, and homeboy roll calls rendered in Old English lettering. These visual influences, rooted in identity and resistance, became the foundation for his creative language.

Magallanes’ early years were turbulent, marked by his expulsion from high school at age fifteen. However, his trajectory changed when he was accepted into the Ryman Arts program, which provided critical mentorship and affirmed his pursuit of art as a life path. From 1998 to 2003, he was active in the Pomona Artist Colony, an important hub for emerging artists in Southern California. During this time, he also developed a close working relationship with Gilbert “Magu” Luján, a leading figure of the Chicano art movement whose influence continues to resonate in Magallanes’ practice.

In 2010, Magallanes played a pivotal role in bringing Self Help Graphics & Art to the international stage at the Philadelphia print fair Philagrafika. He also curated a Self Help Graphics exhibition at Sol Collective in Sacramento, further expanding the reach of Chicano and community-based art. Today, Magallanes continues to serve as a board member for Self Help Graphics, where he supports one of the most important cultural institutions for Chicano and Latinx artists. He is also a member of the Inner-City Arts Young Professionals Advisory Board, contributing to arts education programs that provide underserved Los Angeles youth with essential creative tools and academic support.