About the Artist

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Artist Statement- Casa PAKO Studio Visits

Man smiling in front of a colorful abstract background.

Artist Statement

Painting is my way of exploring how we construct meaning from what we see—and

just as importantly, from what remains unseen.

My work begins without a predetermined image or narrative. Through an intuitive

process of layering, revision, and discovery, abstract forms gradually reveal

relationships that suggest memory, perception, humor, vulnerability, and the

complexity of human behavior. Rather than illustrating a specific story, I create

visual environments where ambiguity becomes an essential part of the experience,

inviting viewers to bring their own histories, emotions, and imagination into the

work.

Throughout my life, I have followed parallel paths in art and technology. While

building a career in engineering, technology consulting, and information

technology leadership, I maintained a continuous studio practice. These

experiences shaped the way I think as an artist. Systems, structure,

experimentation, and problem-solving coexist with intuition, spontaneity, and

emotional expression. The tension between order and uncertainty has become a

defining characteristic of my paintings.

Working under the name PAKO, I move fluidly between painting, drawing, digital

media, and constructed objects. I am interested in the point where abstraction and

suggestion intersect—where recognizable forms briefly emerge before dissolving

again into color, gesture, and space. This visual language allows me to explore

themes of curiosity, transformation, trust, memory, resilience, and the unseen

forces that influence our perceptions of ourselves and others.

My paintings do not seek to provide answers. Instead, they create opportunities

for reflection. I believe that the most meaningful works of art are completed not by

the artist alone, but through the experiences each viewer brings to them. Every

painting becomes an invitation to slow down, question first impressions, and

discover new narratives that continue to unfold long after leaving the work.

Ultimately, my practice is an ongoing dialogue between traditional painting,

contemporary abstraction, and the creative possibilities that emerge when

intuition, technology, and lived experience converge

BIOGRAPHY

Francisco Alvarado (PAKO) is a Los Angeles–based contemporary artist whose

work explores perception, memory, abstraction, and the narratives that emerge

from the relationship between color, geometry, and symbolism. His paintings invite

viewers to slow down, look beyond first impressions, and discover their own

interpretations.

Born in Ecuador, Francisco developed an early passion for drawing, encouraged by

a teacher who recognized his talent and by countless hours studying art books

from museums in Europe. After moving to California in 1969, he pursued studies in

Mechanical Engineering while maintaining a lifelong commitment to making art.

For more than four decades, Francisco followed parallel paths in art and

technology. From 1997 to 2005, he worked as a technology consultant with

Deloitte, followed by his role as an Information Technology Director from 2005 to

2016. Throughout his professional career, he continued an active studio practice,

developing a systems-based approach to creative problem-solving that continues

to inform his paintings. The balance between intuition and structure, improvisation

and thoughtful composition, has become a defining characteristic of his work.

Following the loss of his wife in 2008, painting assumed an even more significant

role in his life, becoming both a means of reflection and a deeper form of artistic

exploration. Encouraged by his partner Karen and enriched through collaborations

with fellow artists, his work evolved into a distinctive language of contemporary

abstraction that draws upon painting, drawing, digital media, and constructed

objects.

Working under the name PAKO, Francisco continues to investigate the ways visual

language can communicate ambiguity, curiosity, memory, humor, and the

complexity of human behavior without relying on literal representation. His work

has been exhibited throughout Southern California and continues to evolve

through an ongoing dialogue between traditional painting, contemporary

abstraction, and technology

Instagram @franciscoalaartist

PAKO© PAKOART© , MAXimus© , KUENTOS©

Casa PAKO Open Studio - Schedule your visit

Monday and Tuesday 10:30 AM - 4:30 Send me an email to Reserve your invitation Limited space 5 people

Contactless visits can be scheduled via ZOOM - Send me an email to Reserve your appointment.

Upcoming/Last Exhibitions

July 25- August 21, 2026

Los Angeles Art Association is proud to present Apocrypha, an all media exploration of artist influences. Apocrypha will run online only July 25-August 21, 202

June 20- July 24, 2026

Los Angeles Art Association proudly presents our next exhibit at Gallery 825: BEDROCK. Artists are often inward looking and reflective, BEDROCK is an all media opportunity for artists to express their strong beliefs.
Juror: Teresa Eggers, David Kordansky Gallery

May 23 - September 6, 2026

Mural Conservancy of Los Angeles

400+Artists Paint Their Favorite Book
Curated by Mat Gleason

February 27 - March 1, 2026

Call and Response to the Start Up Art Fair (February 27 - March 1, 2026) https://www.startup-art.com/ at the Kinney Hotel in Venice Beach. This will be the first in-person iteration of the digital collaboration project that has connected 500+ artists across 20+ rounds since the pandemic. Two book Collaborations shown:

Between Doubt and Rupture - Francisco Alvarado - Robert Sofian
Nobody knows what they're doing - Francisco Alvarado/Erika Shi

LA Art Documents featured Call and Response at Startup Art FaiR

Exciting news—LA Art Documents just released a video about Call and Response at Startup Art Fair LA!
Seeing all 90 collaborative books together was absolutely incredible. This video captures what happens when 500+ artists across six continents trust the process of random pairing and creative collaboration.

https://youtu.be/l2mhnsq6M4o?si=uiy1YWNNG5wp91Nv