Abiam Alvarez

I get a feeling of nostalgia for dirt from when I used to work various agriculturally related jobs in the Central Valley during summers. Clay is the closest material that fulfills this nostalgic feeling as it allows me to get dirty, physical, and work with my hands. 

The fields have been harvested and the produce has been processed, packaged, and is heading out for delivery. As we drive past the familiar fields of California’s Central Valley, we see the massive planes of land – the never-ending crops stretched to the horizon – and the farm workers who follow behind the tractor ahead, picking them. The abundance of crops gives us a great sense of comfort, a sense that is amplified as we casually stroll through the isles overflowing, abundant with produce. – Abiam Alvarez

Abiam Alvarez grew up in Leon Guanajuato, Mexico before migrating to the United States. His family settled in Firebaugh, a small California town and a farming community surrounded by many fields of crop. Alvarez’s roots are closely tied to the central valley where he was raised, and his work, Cycle of the Crop, speaks to the labors, environmental and political issues surrounding agriculture, food consumerism, and immigrant workers.

Alvarez experienced agricultural labor through related jobs available in the summers as he grew up and attended school. After graduating high school, Alvarez, a first-generation college student, attended California State University, Fresno, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in art and design with and emphasis in ceramics and sculpture. He later returned to earn his single subject teaching credential in Art and went on to earn his MFA degree at San Jose State University. Alvarez currently resides and teaches high school ceramics in the Bay Area.

Abiam Alvarez, Cycle of the Crop, 2023, ceramic, cardboard, screen print, 36 x 48 x 60 in. variable, Courtesy of the artist