El Franco Lee II, Artist
El Franco Lee II is an artist who paints with acrylics and draws using pencil and ink in the art style of Mannerism interlacing his own unique style of intricate and exaggerated human form to depict urban situations seldom communicated on canvas.El Franco is a current resident of Houston, Texas as well as a native son. During his formative years in the public and parochial schools of Houston, his artistic abilities were duly acknowledged by Houston Independent School District, the Archdiocese of Galveston Houston, Houston Livestock and Rodeo, and Glassell School of Art.
El Franco received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting from the University of Houston in 2007. He has been employed with ESPA Corp Architecture for 10 years in Auto Cad and Design.
In recent times, El Franco’s solo and juried exhibitions have included, Gift of the Spirit (A partnership of JPMorgan Chase and Art League Houston); Project Row Houses - Houston, Texas; Angstrom Gallery - Dallas, Texas; Siebert Brandford Shank & Co., LLC Public Finance Summit – Napa Valley, California; Contemporary Arts Museum – Houston, Texas; Romo Gallery, Atlanta, Georgia; G Gallery – Houston, Texas; University of Houston Project Gallery; Blaffer Gallery – Houston, Texas; Yale University - Annual Art Barn Exhibit – Norfolk, Connecticut; Diverse Works Gallery Art Space – Houston, Texas.
The future for El Franco will certainly encompass more of his “Urban Mannerist Pop Art” on a larger scale. You can also expect a recommence for his love of sculpting and comic book characters.
Professional Experience
- 2009 Boys and Girls Club – Guest Curator – Houston, Texas
- 2009 Urban Illustration Workshop – Lawndale Art Studio – Houston, Texas
- 2008 and 2009 Kellner Consulting (assisted with Houston Metro Arts in Transit Program) Houston TX – Contract
- 2003 – 2005 Diverse Works Art Gallery (Intern) Houston, Texas
Exhibitions
- 2009 Cantanker (Pump Project Art Complex) Austin, Texas
- 2009 Tom Joyner Foundation “A Night of Freedom” (September 4, 2009) Houston, Texas
- 2009 Diverse Works “Stimulus” (July 17-August 15, 2009) - Houston, Texas
- 2009 Art League Houston “Visual Harassment” (July 17-August 28, 2009) - Houston, Texas
- 2009 10th Annual Midtown Visions Cultural Arts – Houston, Texas
- 2009 Lawndale Art Center - Houston, Texas
- 2009 Gift of the Spirit ( A Partnership of JP Morgan Chase and Art League Houston) - Houston, Texas
- 2009 Project Row Houses - Houston, Texas
- 2008 Project Row Houses - Houston, Texas
- 2008 Lawndale Art Center - Houston, Texas
- 2008 Angstrom Gallery, Dallas, Texas
- 2008 Siebert Brandford Shank & Co., LLC Public Finance Summit – Napa Valley, California
- 2007 Contemporary Arts Museum – Houston, Texas
- 2007 Romo Gallery, Atlanta, Georgia
- 2006 G Gallery – Houston, Texas
- 2006 University of Houston Project Gallery - Houston, Texas
- 2006 Blaffer Gallery – Houston, Texas
- 2006 Annual Art Barn Exhibit – Norfolk, Connecticut
- 2005 Diverse Works Gallery Art Space – Houston, Texas
Awards/Scholarships/Fellowships
- 2009 Cantanker Magazine 8 Awardee; Anxiety catalog and exhibition – August 29, 2009- Austin, Texas
- 2008-2009 Lawndale Art Center - Lawndale Art Studio Resident
- 2008 Winner, Artadia Awards 2008
- 2006 Ellen Battell Stoeckel Fellowship - Art Division of Yale University
- 1985 – 1990 Glassell School of Art Scholarship
Education
- Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting – School of Art, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, 2007
- Undergraduate Course Work, School of Art, Yale University, Norfolk, Connecticut, 2006
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