Brandon Hernandez’s Heatstroke / Window of Opportunity

Second Cousin is closed. Our building is undergoing major construction for the next 6-12 months, and while we’re thrilled about the opportunity to overhaul the space and make it our own, we lament the dead zone that currently is our storefront. So we asked local printmaker Brandon Hernandez to curate an exhibition in our front windows, and he graciously obliged.

On the right side Heatstroke, an installation of Brandon’s woodblocks. On the left is a group exhibition of California printmakers titled, aptly, Window of Opportunity. Below are words from Hernandez and his collaborator Jalisa Sousa-Silva about the showings.

Photos coming soon.

Brandon Hernandez
Heatstroke 

Nahuales were shamanic village elders vital to the tradition and culture of pre-Inquisition Mexico. The Spanish Inquisition demonized Indigenous practices, spreading disinformation. Nahuales are rumored to make a pact with the devil in exchange for the ability to transform at will into a dog, owl, turkey, and more. To avoid unnecessary harm, many surviving Indigenous Mexica either blended their beliefs with the enforced religion or practiced in private.

My connection to Nahuales stems from family. My family is my connection to culture. The ghost stories they shared introduced me to Nahuales, and Nahuales introduced me to the Mexican Revolution and printmaking, all of which inform my artistic practice.

Hand-carved on wood, the surface of the Nahual figures builds up a coat of dried black ink when printed onto paper. The raised black layer contrasts with the exposed wood created by razor-sharp chisels. The final result is a visual narrative with cryptic patterns that decorate and provide insight into the intentions of specific creatures.

Brandon Hernandez is a woodcut printmaker born and raised in Central California. His work draws inspiration from Mexican Revolution–era artists and prints, bridging a personal gap between identity and heritage while continuing a long story of resilience and resistance. Through expressive marks carved into wood, Hernandez tells visual stories that echo the silent scars of trauma, finding that these stories never really end but shift form. Informed by his personal experience as a child of Mexican immigrants, his woodcuts display visual narratives of the journey of diaspora.

Born and raised in Hanford, California, Hernandez began his printmaking journey in 2017 at College of the Sequoias in Visalia and graduated with a BFA in Printmaking from Chico State in 2023. Based in Chico since 2020, he has exhibited in solo and group shows at 1078 Gallery, M.O.N.C.A., The Oval Gallery, and Arts Consortium, with work in the Permanent Collection of the Janet Turner Print Museum. He is currently the Collections Assistant for the Janet Turner Print Museum and continues to create art and engage in community-oriented print workshops in collaboration with Pedal Press.

Instagram: @bah_printmaker_

1brandonhernandez@gmail.com

Window of Opportunity
Group Exhibition

Window of Opportunity is a group print exhibition curated and organized by Brandon Hernandez and Jalisa Sousa-Silva, hosted by Second Cousin Gallery. It gathers prints from artists at various stages of their careers. This collaboration was created to recognize those both on hiatus and actively making work. Ultimately, it offers prints—whether dusty or brand new—their chance to be seen by the public.

Printmaking thrives in community. Within this subculture, many find their place in the art world. Yet we recognize the difficulty of getting one’s name out there. Despite life’s demands not always allowing us time or resources, this exhibition emphasizes the importance of making your own opportunities. Uplifting your peers leads to more fulfilling art practices and closer allies.

In the window, multiple forms of printmaking are represented, including lithography and relief wood carving. The art of the reproduction has a long history of both personal and political expression, interpreted here through each maker’s individual approach. Spannng a range of backgrounds, skill levels, and education, this exhibition reflects the diverse practices shaping California printmaking today.

Artists featured:

From Brandon: Thank you to Mattie for the Opportunity, Thank you to Jalisa for helping with selecting artists and writing the statement for the group window exhibition, and thank you to the artists who participated. Take every opportunity that you can to do what you can for your community.