A Deep Dive with Raul Manzano: Featured Artist Honored at Human Rights Art Exhibition

(MANHATTAN, NY — February 26, 2025) Each year, College of the Sequoias hosts a Human Rights Art Exhibition which features art pieces that, while varied in mediums and styles, share a common theme: “the intersection of art, human rights, social justice and environmental issues.” The college, located in Visalia, California, is currently displaying Empire State University faculty member Raul Manzano’s piece “Grasping for Freedom, Grasping for Hope.” The painting, which depicts a wide-eyed Statue of Liberty peering over a wall that several hands are desperately trying to grasp the top of, won a Merit Award just over a week into being displayed as part of the exhibition. College of the Sequoia’s 2025 Human Rights Arts Exhibition runs from January 28 to March 7.

Featured artist Manzano, who is currently a visiting assistant professor at Empire State University, has long been a member of its community with his first experience at the university dating back to 2003 assisting in the Studio Semester Program. He smiles as we exchange pleasantries and introductions—first in English, then in Spanish, after the dance around language that two people who share South American roots—but don’t want to make assumptions—tend to engage in. Prints of several of his pieces, vibrant and meticulously crafted, are displayed to his left against a black wall.

Manzano: I’ve been with the university for about twenty years now—I was a student here first; I did my master’s in 2005. After that, I began working for the college, tutoring one student at a time, eventually began doing study groups, and later was hired as a part-time mentor. I have been with the Arts Department since then.

Irigoyen: Can you tell us a bit about your upbringing?

Manzano: That’s an interesting question… everybody asks me that. I was born in Colombia and came to America in 1980, and I, like many immigrants, began working different types of jobs, later on went to school, and began the process of adjusting to my life [here]. I didn’t speak the language at the time… it took a good two years to begin to understand [English]. It takes longer than that for some of us.

So that was my start here in America, and I did all kinds of jobs, like many immigrants might do at the beginning, until I became more fluent in the language. Then, I went to work on Wall Street—actually, I was doing a banking degree at the time because I needed the money, obviously, to survive. That was the fastest way for me to get a job. I worked there for about eighteen years, and after I retired from there, that’s when I found Empire State University. I enrolled, I did my master’s degree, eventually began working here—during that time I also did my Ph.D.

Irigoyen: What did your Ph.D. center on?

Manzano: It was in museum studies. It was actually in multilingual art exhibitions in New York City, so the focus was about presenting exhibitions in different languages. This was just before the boom of language really came into the picture… all the exhibitions in New York were in English, except for a few museums like the Museo del Barrio, for example.

Irigoyen: Can you tell us about your art, thematically speaking?

He shifts in his chair and laughs, both of us acknowledging with apologetic smiles the vastness of my question and the challenge of providing a condensed answer.

Manzano: My artistic career sort of began with the teachings of my mother. I started learning about painting at home—copying the drawings or paintings she had done because she went to art school during her youth. She would correct me, and then show me how to draw or how to paint… I guess that’s how I got my motivation for art—as part of a heritage. One of those things that’s said—are artists born or made? I’m not quite sure where I fit in there, but I recall I had that passion for art since a very early age.

Manzano’s reflection is one that many creatives encounter sooner or later. In the end, I like to believe that it’s not about nature versus nurture, but rather, about how one’s message can act upon an audience through a creative medium. Or maybe, as Manzano says, it can be about having the passion for creation. He looks up and away from his screen, calling on memory as he continues to talk me through his trajectory.

Manzano: I went to art school, and that’s how I initiated myself in the arts. Why I picked those particular topics to paint is, first of all, living in Colombia. [It] was a difficult time before we came here because of the political situations that were happening in my country. Unrest—the guerrillas were coming into the picture and drug cartels in the late 1970s, early 80s…

He relays his father’s decision to get his children out of the country and relocate to the United States, smiling sadly as he explains that his younger self’s exposure to such situations, to seeing violence in Colombia at that time, permeated his state of mind growing up. The link to his paintings is clear to me in this moment: he paints the pain that he wishes no one had to suffer through.

Manzano: …when I came to America, I saw similar situations that were happening in my country that [also] were happening here; discrimination and corruption, particularly, and [the violation of] human rights. It prompted me to look through these frames that eventually developed later in my work.

During his thesis, Manzano began to amplify his focus on socio-cultural and political themes. As is often the case for artists, something arises from the interface between thinking and doing: a third thing that becomes the aboutness of the art. I tell Manzano this and he agrees.

Manzano: …it’s something that has to grow on you… collective images that are embedded in your head—at some point they come back to you, and then, depending on what inspires or motivates you to do something, you begin to focus on that.

From this side of the screen, it is clear to me that he has given considerable thought to his artistic practice, articulating all facets of the answer I was hoping he would give. Some artists know themselves deeply, and that strikes me as the case with Manzano, who parses through his truth unapologetically.  Besides the sliver of white wall adorned with a mosaic of his paintings, he appears to be comfortably floating in the dark, which contrasts with the rich purple of his shirt.

Now, he is talking about the Statue of Liberty—the identifying seal that brands Manzano’s work ever since the end of his time as an undergraduate student. It serves as a gateway into the socio-cultural and political messages in his work.

Manzano: It has become sort of my brand because, from time to time, I get messages on Facebook or email when somebody has done an image of the statue—not necessarily mine—and said, “I thought of you when I saw this.”

We laugh at the thought of something so big being associated with a single person, and yet, there is no denying that the Statue of Liberty is his muse, and he has come to be known for his renderings of it. 

Irigoyen: Is there anything else that you feel contributed to your passion for putting your art in conversation with these topics?

I feel curious about where it stems from, what buds and flourishes in an artist’s mind. Manzano pauses to take inventory of his experiences.

Manzano: Certainly, being a Latino has a lot to do with it because we see what’s happening to our people nowadays… That obviously has an impact on me because that’s part of where I am from, the people that I can relate to, and that motivates me to create this type of work—work that will represent awareness, if you will, for the viewer. What the Statue of Liberty represents to many of us is a symbol of freedom and hope… many migrants, not necessarily one group but around the world, see the image of the Statue of Liberty as a symbol of freedom—one of the reasons they might choose to come to the United States.

Irigoyen: I wanted to ask you, how did this exhibition opportunity come about?

Manzano: I subscribe to an organization that sends notifications to artists about opportunities, and the exhibition resonated with the kind of work that I’m doing—it was right in my ballpark, so I decided to apply…they wrote back saying they selected my work for the exhibition.

I ask Manzano about art contest practices, and he shares that there can be one or more judges that select work from among hundreds of submissions. Usually, judges are chosen on the basis of achieving prominence in their artistic careers. This makes me think of how, in literary terms, strong readers make for the best of editors and writers—it teaches you what to look for in your own work, and that of others. It makes sense to me that a skilled artist would serve well as a contest judge, so I nod as he explains.

Manzano: I think it was over 300 submissions internationally.

Irigoyen: Wow. That speaks very highly of your work. Speaking of, can you describe it from a technical standpoint?

Manzano: All right. Let’s talk about the creative process, because that’s basically the starting point. I begin by developing a concept or an idea through what is called thumbnail sketches—small sketches usually in my sketchbook, or sometimes I do it on Post-its—

He leans to the side and retrieves his sketchbook, opened to a page where rows of 4×4 Post-it notes are lined up vertically. On the right-hand side of the left page, two of them have scribbled notes of themes or ideas, while the Post-it stuck to the top has a faint sketch made in pencil, depicting a baseball cap-clad figure facing away from the viewer. The adjacent page has a full-sized sketch of several silhouettes standing to face the Statue of Liberty. He smiles to himself as he flips through more pages, raising iterations of the statue and its viewers up to his computer’s camera so I can see. Other pages have thumbnail sketches rendered in pencil on SUNY Empire-branded Post-it notes.

Manzano: This is where I begin everything. Sometimes things do happen, believe it or not, in the middle of the night. I wake up with this idea and I get up quickly, put it on a Post-it. I have a number of Post-its just to do a scribble. You know, a couple of lines just to see—to remind me of what came to my mind because [ideas] come and go very quickly, especially when you wake up.

We chat about our respective creative processes for a moment, getting swept into a tangent.

Manzano: If I need additional references, like a pose, I ask friends to pose for me for a particular pose that I’m looking for or expression. That’s how I begin to develop the concept for the painting. Once I get all of that, I use Photoshop to move images around—that’s been helpful because it’s faster. When I have the concept defined, I transfer that to a canvas, or sometimes not directly onto canvas but on a piece of tracing paper so I can move it around. That’s the early process.

He moves onto the topic of materials, naming oil paint on canvas as his medium of preference. While acrylic paints are fast-drying, oil paint affords the artist time to work slowly, which is what Manzano prefers, as he can sometimes take several weeks and up to a month—or longer—to complete a painting. To build color and draw attention to certain parts of a painting, he works in layers, enhancing focal points. This results in long drying times and periods of rest from painting while the canvas dries down.

Manzano: In the painting process, it doesn’t mean that the sketch is the final version of the painting. Sketches help me elaborate on the image, but something else I do is take photographs between sections or at the end of one section and look at them to see if there are any adjustments I need to make. Sometimes, the human eye cannot pick up everything, and the camera has been useful in that sense. You can see instantly if something is not working the way you intend… that’s part of the technical aspects and processes until I am satisfied with the final product, and that takes me time.

Irigoyen: Well, creatives, I think we’re known for being quite picky… that’s what makes our work good sometimes, just taking the time and care to be picky about it and make sure that we have realized our vision.

Manzano: I also look at other artists, see what they have done so I don’t repeat the same concept that another artist might have done. It’s important to look at the work of other people as well.

Irigoyen: One of the biggest things I always tell younger writers whenever they ask for advice on how to make their writing better is you have to read. You have to read a lot, because it teaches you not only how to be a better writer but also be a better editor. You can edit your own work and know what to look for; it’s important to develop that instinct and artistic sensibilities, that kind of innate knowledge about the medium that you’re working through.

Manzano: Yes. That’s important. I tell my students to look at other artists’ work and ask them to replicate the work of a master artist of their choice and tell me what they learn from that process.

When artists learn technique through mimicry and repetition, it gives them an effortless eye for stylistic elements. It frees up the mind to focus on getting their message across. We chat about this for a few minutes, briefly sharing anecdotes from learning how to draw or paint.

Irigoyen: So, can you tell me about this award you just received?

Manzano: It’s what is called a Merit Award, given to either two or three artists. I was thrilled—it’s an honor for me to receive this. As you said, it’s a recognition of my work and I couldn’t be more pleased. And I appreciate the fact that they not only selected my work for the show, but later got notice that I’d receive this Merit Award. It’s very rewarding, personally. It’s part of the work that I have been doing over the years, and I guess it reflects now more than ever before.

Irigoyen: It’s a validating thing to know that you’re on the right track. Congratulations again. We have two questions left. One is a normal question, and the last one is an unserious question.

Manzano: Perfect.

Irigoyen: Last question is: is there a key message you want your audience to take away from looking at your pieces? I know you said they venture into different topics, but is there one overall thing you really want your audience to understand through your art?

He takes a moment to think.

Manzano: Hmm. Okay. It’s a complex question, because every picture has a message, and the message could be about human rights, particularly because this exhibition is about human rights, the environment, and social issues. The message I want to convey, more than anything else, is about inequalities. Discrimination. That’s where my focus is, for everybody to have an opportunity to contribute to society by the opportunities that are given to them as well as to everybody else.

For a moment, we return to the painting featured in the Human Rights Art Exhibition at College of the Sequoias.

Manzano: What inspired me to do this painting is the desperate attempt by migrants who are seeking a better life in the United States. It reflects the political climate of the anti-immigration policies of our current President. He began this back in 2016, and that was when I began to think about this particular issue of the migrants and the wall that he wanted to build at the time. Which is obviously going to be more pressing now that he is the current President. The challenging journey of minority communities from developing countries who are seeking political asylum, or an opportunity of a better life—that’s what prompted me to do this particular painting. And I want to sort of describe the painting, if you don’t mind.

Irigoyen: Not at all, go ahead.

Manzano: As I said, the painting explores the meaning of freedom and equality through the Statue of Liberty, which is part of the picture. I use the symbol metaphorically to engage viewers, and also to emphasize the message that I want to convey. The painting has kind of two stories. It’s looking from above and from below.

The monitor to my left has an image of his painting, “Grasping for Freedom, Grasping for Hope,” in full technicolor: the bottom two thirds of the painting are occupied by a looming brick wall, covered, in part, by extended arms reaching towards the top. One of the hands, aligned with the center, has a rosary draped over it. Many of them have varying degrees of darker skin. At the top of the frame, the colors shift entirely. The iconic blue-green of the Statue of Liberty radiates from over the wall, and her eyes, wide with either concern or curiosity, barely peer over the edge. Around her, a halo of yellows, oranges, greens, and finally, the intense blue of the sky.

Manzano: Color and aerial perspective. That’s what I refer to two different points of view. In one, the hands of people from diverse backgrounds are reaching up to the Statue of Liberty for help. But on the other side, the Statue of Liberty is looking down at this group of people that are trying to climb the wall or reaching out to someone to lend them a hand. She’s looking at them with a very disconcerting expression, looking down over this wall that has been built, prompting the viewer to reflect on the current socio-cultural, racial and political affairs in a divided United States at the moment. The eyes of the Statue of Liberty are based on a friend’s facial expression, and the rosary symbolizes faith. Hands of young and old grasping for freedom, grasping for hope.

Irigoyen: It’s interesting that voice, whether it’s through visual art, or photography, or sculpture, or music…it can unite. That’s the power and beauty of it—why it’s important.

He nods.

Manzano: Art provides that moment to give us a little bit of hope in our lives from all the problems we are facing nowadays. The arts are so important at this time [for] a moment of peace that you can connect to spiritually, if you will, that you wouldn’t have had otherwise.

Irigoyen: Like un descanso—rest, or respite. Are you ready for the last question?

He laughs, throwing his head forward, and then sits back, ready to hear it.

Manzano: Go ahead.

Irigoyen: Tell us a random, delightful fact about yourself.

His eyebrows shoot up, and he looks away for a moment, thinking with amusement. His hand goes to his chin as he swivels in his chair slowly.

Manzano: I like exercise. What I’m doing lately is walking the twenty floors of my building every day instead of taking the elevator. I don’t get the chance to go to the gym, so this is sort of my new niche thing that I have been doing. When I told my doctor he was very impressed, he said to keep doing it.

We laugh about it, but then acknowledge the importance of activities such as Manzano’s daily hikes up the stairs.

Irigoyen: You don’t just have to nourish the mind, you have to nourish the body, too.

Manzano: Absolutely, you have to be in constant activity, not only mentally. Walking is another thing I like to do. I enjoy it, especially during the warmer days, and I do that often.

The rest of our interview slipped away into Spanish chitchat about New York City, a place that lends itself to walking, as well as inspiring artists and writers alike. This is perhaps one of the most reoccurring conversations among creatives of all kinds. I think we were both happy to indulge in sharing our artistic practices, and clicked the “Leave Call” button satisfied with having let another person’s perspective broaden our views.