Cube Space Artist in Conversation: Abiam Alvarez
About this Event
Join Berkeley Art Center on September 26, 3-4:30 pm, for an afternoon conversation with Cube Space Gallery artist Abiam Alvarez to hear about his artistic practice. Moderated by Cube Space curator Kevin B. Chen.
Cube Space Gallery Artists in Conversation series is supported in part by the City of Berkeley.
Date & Time: Saturday, September 26, 3-4:30 pm
Event Location: Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St., Berkeley
Fee: Free and open to the public. Donations welcome! Your support matters!
Cube Space Gallery is located at 2010 Addison Street, Berkeley, CA 94704
Abiam Alvarez will have his sculptural installation In Abundance on view in Cube Space from July 26 to October 16, 2026.
Located in Downtown Berkeley, Cube Space is a contemporary art gallery that is always open and visible to the public; however, its street-facing location is not ideal for in-depth conversations about artists’ projects and practices. To address this, the Berkeley Art Center, which for almost 60 years has worked to make contemporary art accessible and engaging for diverse communities through a range of programming, is collaborating with the City of Berkeley and Cube Space to host a series of artist talks in the gallery. This artist talk is the second one in the series.
ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Based in Gilroy, CA, Abiam Alvarez’s practice is deeply rooted in the agricultural landscapes of California’s Central Valley. Born in León, Guanajuato, Mexico, Alvarez immigrated to California in 1999 and grew up in the farming community of Firebaugh, located 40 miles west of Fresno. His early experiences working in the fields continue to shape his work, which explores labor, immigration, consumerism, and the socio-political realities of agriculture.
Alvarez creates lifelike ceramic depictions of produce – such as oranges, tomatoes, cantaloupes, and squash – often paired with the vessels, soil, and tools used to grow them. These forms honor farmworkers while drawing attention to the physical and often overlooked labor behind food production. His work frequently contrasts abundance with decay. Fruit may appear plentiful at first glance, but closer inspection reveals signs of rot or imperfection. Through repetition and scale, Alvarez highlights both the bounty of agriculture and the demanding labor required to sustain it, prompting reflection on our own patterns of food consumption.
Embracing the tactile and unpredictable nature of clay, Alvarez values its physicality and its origins in the earth. His process requires both hands-on construction and a willingness to accept uncertainty, particularly during firing, when outcomes remain partially beyond the artist’s control. As Alvarez notes, “A lot could go wrong in the kiln – cracking, exploding, colors not turning out how you envisioned. Even if it survives the first firing, the second could prove disastrous.” This element of risk mirrors the precarity embedded in agricultural labor.
In addition to produce, Alvarez incorporates worn or rusted machinery, pointing to the essential yet often undervalued role of human labor. His work poses a critical question: what would remain if that labor disappeared? His sculptures act as both tribute and warning, emphasizing the deep connections between land, labor, and the food we consume.
Do you know where your food comes from, or how it reaches your table? During the COVID-19 pandemic, workers across critical infrastructure sectors – healthcare, food service, agriculture, transportation, and public safety – continued reporting to work on-site despite widespread lockdowns. Labeled “essential workers,” they kept society running while often facing heightened risks and long-standing inequities. Six years later, many of these workers remain disproportionately represented among low-wage earners, women, and people of color. This installation invites reflection on that reality and recognition of the labor and sacrifice of farmworkers, whose work sustains us every day.
ABOUT BERKELEY ART CENTER
Berkeley Art Center (BAC) is a hub for artistic exploration and community building that champions work by Bay Area artists and curators. Located in Live Oak Park in North Berkeley, we make contemporary art approachable at an intimate scale while serving diverse communities through exhibitions and artist-conceived events, workshops, and programs. Since its founding in 1967, BAC has exhibited work by important local figures such as Enrique Chagoya, Mildred Howard, Hung Liu, Jim Melchert, Taraneh Hemami, Lava Thomas, David Huffman, and Carrie Mae Weems, among others.
Berkeley Art Center contact: [email protected], office: (510) 644-6893
ABOUT CUBE SPACE GALLERY
The City of Berkeley Cube Space is a contemporary art gallery located in the heart of downtown Berkeley at 2010 Addison Street. Unlike traditional galleries, its curated exhibits are always visible to the public through three glass walls in a 200 sq. ft. space. The space features a rotating series of three-month exhibitions by emerging and mid-career Bay Area artists.
https://berkeleyca.gov/community-recreation/civic-arts/public-art/cube-space-gallery
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 0.00 to USD 23.18
