Bryan Ali Sanchez: Recuerdos del Horizonte

Bryan Ali Sanchez’s paintings explore the psychological struggles and lived realities of the working class. In this body of work, he orchestrates a bold interplay of vivid colors, heavy brushstrokes, wide perspectives, and suspended moments to evoke life on a ranch. Weaving together five generations of connection to his family’s land in Querétaro, Mexico, Sanchez cultivates a delicate tension between past and present.

In these paintings, the concept of land as a source of economic, political, and social power, as well as an embodiment of heritage, legacy, sustenance, and life itself, is deeply unpacked. Through these works, he invites viewers to contemplate the weight and beauty of labor inherent in cultivation. 

Drawing from oral stories shared by his mother, childhood memories, and the intrinsic connections between humans, animals, and the land, Sanchez transforms his paintings into spaces for remembering. They are not merely visual representations but carry the weight and hardship of cultivating and living on a ranch, rendering these experiences tangible through color and form. The land emerges as both a witness to his family history and a reflection of his relationship with it.

Color takes center stage in this journey, charged with emotive intensity and supported by monumental forms, scale, and tactile textures. The palette mirrors the natural rhythms of time: radiant oranges, purples, golden yellows, and deep indigos unfold like the sky transitioning from dawn to dusk, prompting contemplation on the passage of time and the cyclical nature of life.

These paintings evoke the gentle warmth of sunrise, symbolizing hope, renewal, and new beginnings while also embodying the introspection and transition into the unknown that accompany sunset. Together, these natural phenomena frame the rhythm of Sanchez’s paintings, evoking nostalgia and reflection. 

In every brushstroke, the land transforms from a backdrop into a living, breathing entity—a repository of memory and a canvas for the perpetual dance between life and labor.

— Emmanuel Amoakohene