Hidalgo remembers the experience of being in a candy store for the first time as a child: a rush of wonder, imagination, and infinite possibility brought on by overwhelming visual stimulation; the rainbow of colors, sweet aromas, wild variety of shapes and patterns, and mounds of handcrafted confections all on perfect display. In time, he found himself working alongside his grandmother who owned a corner store. The memories of working with candies and helping her stock and count out product for orders left an indelible imprint that helped shape the fundamental core of his work today. From organization, to using his tools, to the careful consideration of materials, and even to his aesthetic, he credits to those years, memories, and lessons learned at the feet of the family matriarch.

Two of his newest works “Gummies are Forever” and “Holo³” summon those spellbound moments of innocence and marvel and symbolize the jewels and relics of childhood. These works, fabricated out of encaustic, resin, and pigments, are intended to serve as a metaphor for life’s challenges and the ability to overcome and outshine obstacles that hinder one’s pathway forward. These works invite viewers to bestir the same joy felt as a child and to reclaim those formative years of child-like wonder recalling the simplicity, purity, and innocence of such unadulterated desires.



Artist Bio

Hidalgo is an emerging artist from Wilmington, DE. He landed his first museum solo exhibition in 2019 at The Delaware Contemporary art museum in Wilmington, DE. Prior to that, Hidalgo has participated in group exhibitions in the Delaware area from 2015 – 2017. His work has been exhibited in the Hamptons to acclaim, and has received accolades in regional magazines. Hidalgo taught painting at Nativity Preparatory School and has curated exhibitions for regional galleries and for The Delaware Contemporary. In 2019, Hidalgo received the Gretchen Cummins Hupfel Award from The Delaware Contemporary, which recognizes an exceptional, regional artist under the age of 40 who demonstrates the spirit of innovation, dedication, and passion for contemporary art as exemplified by the artist Gretchen Cummins Hupfel. His work is in public collections such as, Sallie Mae, DE; Bay Health, DE; Chris Strumfelds Youth Center, DE, and in private collections.