Joel Batz
Joel Batz
He was born in 1975 in the city of Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. His artistic career began at a very young age. He moved to Mexico City as a teenager and started as a miniature sculptor, influenced by his brother Rigoberto Batz, a plastic arts painter who graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Mexico City. For two years, he was Rigoberto’s apprentice and student. In August 2002, Batz began his studies in California, starting at Los Angeles City College, Valley College, and LA Pier College, where he was taught by masters in the plastic arts. In June 2007, he earned an Associate of Arts degree, and in 2008, he obtained another degree in music education.
After several years of artistic training and exhibitions, he transferred to UNLV (University of Las Vegas). Joel Batz returned to Guatemala in December 2010 due to the tragedy of his mother’s passing, deciding to settle in Antigua Guatemala, a National Cultural Heritage site, where he exhibited art for the first time on Calle del Arco. In 2012, he opened his own studio, “Galería del Color,” together with his brother Marcos Batz. This marked a new beginning of inspiration and motivation, and together they began a new phase as art exhibitors, sharing experiences and techniques.
They carried out projects aimed at teaching and showcasing talent through art therapy programs, group classes for underprivileged children, art programs for adults, and exhibitions for emerging artists, among others. In September 2014, the project “Casa Para Las Artes” (House for the Arts) was launched. Joel Batz, as co-founder, and other artists initiated a space to support the emergence of new talent, creating spaces for cultural and artistic development. Batz exhibits and teaches at CPA, where new inspiration and style flourish, drawing from Guatemalan culture.
Today, Batz enjoys a new era in the arts, projecting his talent, style, and above all, the inspiration he has drawn from different cultures. His greatest inspiration is life itself, influenced by the vision of everything that moves and conveys life. As both a realist and magical surrealist, he captures a sense of identity with each brushstroke.
