YOU DON’T LOOK PUERTO RICAN SERIES

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“Le Chevallier presents a deep meditation on identity and personal narrative in this thought-provoking body of work. This moment is seized in vails of white paint and images of Taino and botanical motifs with dates of significant episodes in the memory of the artist and in doing so explores what it means to be a “white” Boricua living on the mainland.”

Peter Marin , Gallery Curator, Diamante Arts and Cultural Center, Raleigh NC

“The You Don’t Look Puerto Rican exhibition is NOT TO BE MISSED! Photos cannot capture the layers in these seemingly simple canvases. Georges approaches language and culture head-on with a somber poetry.”

Sterling Bowen, Art Contributor, Painting After Art is Dead blog

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Porto Rico Acrylic Paint on Canvas 48”x 48” 2024 This piece examines the treaties that transformed Puerto Rico into a U.S. colony, including the renaming of the island to Porto Rico. In 1898, after The Spanish American War, the United States took possession of Puerto Rico from Spain. In 1917, Puerto Ricans were given the US Citizenship (without any rights to vote on the Island's Governor or the US President) and were immediately drafted to fight abroad in World War l.

Porto Rico
Acrylic Paint on Canvas / 48”x 48” / 2024
This piece examines the treaties that transformed Puerto Rico into a U.S. colony, including the renaming of the island to Porto Rico. In 1898, after The Spanish American War, the United States took possession of Puerto Rico from Spain. In 1917, Puerto Ricans were given the US Citizenship (without any rights to vote on the Island’s Governor or the US President) and were immediately drafted to fight abroad in World War l.

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You Don’t Look Puerto Rican Acrylic Paint on Canvas 48”x 48” 2024 As an adult, I have traveled widely, but wherever I go, I often encounter the same question: "But you don’t look Puerto Rican?" This is a reality that many Latinx people who don’t fit a certain stereotype experience all the time. It’s almost as if we are forgotten Latinos: we belong 100% to our culture, but physically, we don’t fit here nor there.

You Don’t Look Puerto Rican
Acrylic Paint on Canvas / 48”x 48”/ 2024
As an adult, I have traveled widely, but wherever I go, I often encounter the same question: “But you don’t look Puerto Rican?” This is a reality that many Latinx people who don’t fit a certain stereotype experience all the time. It’s almost as if we are forgotten Latinos: we belong 100% to our culture, but physically, we don’t fit here nor there.

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El Cerro Maravilla Acrylic Paint on Canvas 60”x 60” 2024 This painting addresses one of my most vivid recollections from growing up in Puerto Rico - the Cerro Maravilla massacre, a government cover-up in which two young pro-independence activists were murdered by a police ambush in 1978.

El Cerro Maravilla
Acrylic Paint on Canvas / 60”x 60” / 2024
This painting addresses one of my most vivid recollections from growing up in Puerto Rico – the Cerro Maravilla massacre, a government cover-up in which two young pro-independence activists were murdered by a police ambush in 1978.

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Latinos Latinx Acrylic Paint on Canvas 60”x 60” 2024 This painting explores how the Spanish language evolves as it intersects with the Latinx immigrant experience in the U.S.

Latinos Latinx
Acrylic Paint on Canvas / 60”x 60” / 2024
This painting explores how the Spanish language evolves as it intersects with the Latinx immigrant experience in the U.S.

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La Isla Menos Morovis Acrylic Paint on Canvas 60”x 60” 2024 La Isla Menos Morovis, (The Island minus Morovis) is a saying in Puerto Rico about a cholera outbreak in the 1880's hitting the whole island of Puerto Rico except for the small and remote mountain region of Morovis. My mother was born in Morovis in the 1930's in extreme poverty, the daughter of a Jibaro who worked in a coffee plantation.

La Isla Menos Morovis
Acrylic Paint on Canvas / 60”x 60” / 2024
La Isla Menos Morovis, (The Island minus Morovis) is a saying in Puerto Rico about a cholera outbreak in the 1880’s hitting the whole island of Puerto Rico except for the small and remote mountain region of Morovis. My mother was born in Morovis in the 1930’s in extreme poverty, the daughter of a Jibaro who worked in a coffee plantation.

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Boricua de Pura Cepa Acrylic Paint on Canvas 60”x 60” 2024 "Boricua de Pura Cepa" refers to someone from Puerto Rico. "Boricua" is an indigenous term to refer to a person from Puerto Rico, and "de Pura Cepa" translates to "of pure strain" This painting delve into Puerto Rican slang, a blend of Spanish, English, and African dialects, reflecting the island’s complex cultural identity.

Boricua de Pura Cepa
Acrylic Paint on Canvas / 60”x 60” / 2024
“Boricua de Pura Cepa” refers to someone from Puerto Rico. “Boricua” is an indigenous term to refer to a person from Puerto Rico, and “de Pura Cepa” translates to “of pure strain.” This painting delve into Puerto Rican slang, a blend of Spanish, English, and African dialects, reflecting the island’s complex cultural identity.

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Spanglish Acrylic Paint on Canvas 60”x 60” 2024 This painting explores how the Spanish language evolves as it intersects with the Latinx immigrant experience in the U.S.

Spanglish
Acrylic Paint on Canvas / 60”x 60” / 2024
This painting explores how the Spanish language evolves as it intersects with the Latinx immigrant experience in the U.S.

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21 Clemente Acrylic Paint on Canvas 60”x 60” 2024 This painting deals with one of my earliest memories growing up in Puerto Rico: the death of Puerto Rican baseball player Roberto Clemente. Clemente died on New Year's Eve in a plane crash while delivering aid to Nicaragua after a massive earthquake in Managua. Since then, he has become a symbol of generosity and sacrifice in both Puerto Rico and the United States.

21 Clemente
Acrylic Paint on Canvas / 60”x 60” / 2024
This painting deals with one of my earliest memories growing up in Puerto Rico: the death of Puerto Rican baseball player Roberto Clemente. Clemente died on New Year’s Eve in a plane crash while delivering aid to Nicaragua after a massive earthquake in Managua. Since then, he has become a symbol of generosity and sacrifice in both Puerto Rico and the United States.

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¿Se Fue la Luz? (¿De Nuevo?) Acrylic Paint on Canvas 24”x 24” 2024 ¿Se Fue La Luz? ¿De Nuevo? (Are the Lights Out? Again?) is a common Puerto Rican expression that reflects the frequent power outages caused by U.S. energy policies toward the island.

¿Se Fue la Luz? (¿De Nuevo?)
Acrylic Paint on Canvas / 24”x 24” / 2024
¿Se Fue La Luz? ¿De Nuevo? (Are the Lights Out? Again?) is a common Puerto Rican expression that reflects the frequent power outages caused by U.S. energy policies toward the island.

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Un Candungo Acrylic Paint on Canvas 8”x 8” 2024 "Un Candungo" refers in Puerto Rico to a big container. These smaller works delve into Puerto Rican slang, a blend of Spanish, English, and African dialects, reflecting the island’s complex cultural identity.

Un Candungo
Acrylic Paint on Canvas / 8”x 8” / 2024
“Un Candungo” refers in Puerto Rico to a big container. These smaller works delve into Puerto Rican slang, a blend of Spanish, English, and African dialects, reflecting the island’s complex cultural identity.

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Bien Emperifolla Acrylic Paint on Canvas 12”x 12” 2024 "Bien Emperifolla" refers in Puerto Rico to a woman getting dolled up. These smaller works delve into Puerto Rican slang, a blend of Spanish, English, and African dialects, reflecting the island’s complex cultural identity.

Bien Emperifolla
Acrylic Paint on Canvas / 12”x 12”/ 2024
“Bien Emperifolla” refers in Puerto Rico to a woman getting dolled up. These smaller works delve into Puerto Rican slang, a blend of Spanish, English, and African dialects, reflecting the island’s complex cultural identity.

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