Herman Aguirre

Herman Aguirre is a Lecturer in the Painting and Drawing Department at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), where he teaches both in the Continuing Studies Program and as part-time faculty. He holds a BFA (2014) and MFA (2017) from SAIC.

His artistic practice examines trauma, Mexican American identity, and societal violence through painting and mixed media. Works memorialize victims of violence using symbolic elements like trinkets and flowers, exploring themes of memory and cultural resistance.

Awards:

• Leonore Annenberg Fellowship (2017)
• Fine Arts Work Center Residency

Represented by Zolla/Lieberman Gallery and Portrait Society Gallery, his work has been exhibited nationally and is included in permanent collections of the National Museum of Mexican Art and Rockford Art Museum. He is a 2024-2025 Chicago Artists Coalition Resident.