Antonio Briones

Empty-Handed

Acrylic

“[This piece illustrates] my feelings about growing up without my father, who was often in prison, and the emotions surrounding his passing… As an artist deeply engaged with exploring the intersection of technology, identity, and societal perceptions, I am committed to creating thought-provoking pieces that challenge conventional narratives. My work delves into the concept of reality in an increasingly digitized world, questioning what is authentic and what is fabricated. Through my art, I seek to provoke introspection, encouraging viewers to contemplate the complexities of our modern existence.”

— Antonio Briones

About the artist

Antonio Briones

American

My name is Antonio Briones III, Tony for short. I am a public artist and a native of Laredo, Texas. I have been a public artist for the last 26 years, and an artist for the last 34 years. I was also an art teacher for several afterschool program for 17 years. I got influenced by art at an early age. My father, Antonio Briones, Jr. would send me his artwork he painted while he was in prison. I used to be amazed on how he would blend his colors, how his brush strokes would leave me to my imagination. The one person that did influenced me on a daily basis was my Abuelo San Miguel, my Mom's Dad. He was a sign painter/graphic designer. I used to sit there and watch him paint his signs and logos underneath this big tree in the back of their house. I would be amazed on on his control of his brush stroke and paint. How it would just glide on the surface he was painting on. To this day I have not been able to mimic his brush strokes. After the military, I attended the Art Institute of Houston in 1989 and earned my associate degree in visual communication of the Applied Arts in September 1991. I worked for several departments stores as a Visual Display Artist for about 6 to 7 years before I moved towards Public Art. I moved to Houston in 1995 in pursuit of becoming a public artist. In the 21 years that I lived in Houston, I managed to get commissions from the City of Houston, Houston Metropolitan, Houston Independent School District, Spring Branch ISD, Laredo National Bank, PlazAmerica, Fiesta Mart, San Antonio Houston Authority and other non- and for-profit entities. I returned back to Laredo in August of 2016. I have continued to bring what i learned outside of Laredo back home. To date I have 13 murals in Laredo since my return. For the last 4 years I have dedicated my art and time as an environmental activist and lead public artist for my Tribe, Carrizo/Comecrudo Tribe of Texas, No Border Wall Coalition, Rio Grande International Study Center, and Laredo Immigrant Alliance. It is my duty as a member of my tribe to fight against the racist wall being proposed by state and federal governments. Trump is not president, but his administration changed several laws that are damaging our water, land and air. My artwork has evolved more pro-environmental and social justice towards our immigrant relatives. I am not painting no fluffier feel-good art. My art has become an instrument to bring light to the social injustices we face as Americans and as a people.