Join us on October 25th from 11 - 5 during Art Walk | West in the Tin District

In ceramics and installation, Hector A. Ramírez and Maria Esswein evoke the unruly spirit of los chaneques—sprite-like guardians of wild places known for leading wanderers astray.

Ramírez’s imagery brims with wit and subversion, reframing the everyday so that humor becomes a trapdoor. Esswein’s work likewise unsettles perception, slipping between the visible and the hidden, the playful and the ominous.

Hector A. Ramirez is an artist from El Paso, Texas, currently based in Fort Worth, where he teaches at the University of Texas at Arlington. He earned his M.F.A. in sculpture from Texas Christian University in 2020. His work has been exhibited in solo and group shows throughout the Dallas/Fort Worth area, as well as in New York City, Berlin, and Hiroshima. Notable exhibitions include the UTA Faculty Show, Blind Alley in Fort Worth, Aurora Dallas Biennial, and his inclusion in Modern Billings, a public art project by The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. Most recently, his work was featured in Artillery Magazine.

Maria Esswein (she/her) is an artist from St. Louis, Missouri, currently based in Dallas–Fort Worth, where she teaches at the University of Texas at Arlington. She earned her M.F.A. in Intermedia from the University of Texas at Arlington in 2023 and her B.F.A. in Sculpture from Southeast Missouri State University in 2020. Her work spans ceramics, photography, and installation, exploring intersections of gender, religion, and identity through a feminist lens. Esswein has exhibited nationally, including the Materials Hard + Soft Exhibition and Texas Vignette 2024, and her work has been shown across the Dallas–Fort Worth area.

Chaneques / Silent Echo Series
Hector Ramirez

"My practice is intuitive, guided by curiosity and a willingness to let the material lead. I often return to recurring themes: the shadow self, mythological beings, and nostalgic memories. These subjects blur the line between the subconscious and the imaginary, grounding my work in both personal reflection and a sense of play.

These figures aren’t here to terrify; they’re here to be seen. Healing doesn’t always have to be solemn—it can be strange, awkward, and even a little funny. Sometimes our inner demons aren’t as menacing as we think; more often, they just look confused, like they showed up to the wrong party."

Guardian
Maria Esswein

Esswein's work has "recently evolved to encompass the profound impact of memory and the metaphorical presence of “ghosts.” Ghosts in pop culture, literature, and media have been an interest in our society, representing several ideas depending on the individual. How we interact with a “ghost” or a past version of ourselves determines whether the experience with this memory was positive, neutral, or negative.

I delve into the internal struggles stemming from my religious upbringing by manifesting these conflicts through apparitions and whimsical, child-like forms. By bringing these internal battles into a physical realm, my art invites viewers to contemplate their own relationships with memory, identity, and the societal constructs that shape us."