Sebastian Vallejo: Where the Zephyrs Sleep
September 10, 2025 – February 22, 2026
Sebastian Vallejo Naranjal (Orange Grove) [detail], 2024 Oil paint, acrylic medium, and fabric on canvas Courtesy the artist
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Sebastian Vallejo (b. 1982 San Juan, PR) has garnered national and international recognition for his dynamic and evocative artwork, which reflects his Caribbean heritage. Shaped by the artist’s lived experience between Puerto Rico and the mainland United States, the body of work presented in this exhibition weaves together personal memory, cultural narratives, and the shifting meanings of place.
Vallejo’s artistic approach, which combines bold textures and layered compositions saturated with color, invites viewers to navigate a space where wind becomes metaphor, and memory becomes material – where the zephyrs, soft and elusive, carry stories both intimate and collective.
Vallejo earned his MFA from the Art Institute of Chicago and his BFA in painting from the University of Puerto Rico. Recently, he has exhibited his work at the George Washington Carver Museum in Austin, and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago. He currently lives and works in Austin, Texas.
This exhibition was curated by Ian Carey, Curator of UNF Galleries, and Instructor in the Department of Art, Art History, and Design at the University of North Florida.
Support for this exhibition was made in part by the City of Jacksonville, the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville, the Donald and Maria Cox Fund, the Haskell Endowment, the Jessie Ball duPont Fund, the MOCA Director’s Circle, and the University of North Florida.
FALL ARTS CELEBRATION
Oct 18 | 12 - 2 p.m.
Meet the artists participating in Project Atrium: Muralists in Action and join us for the announcement of the Jax Contemporary Arts Triennial Awards. This brunch-style opening is a community event featuring live music, light bites, and a cash bar. Plus, explore the new exhibition in the UNF Gallery, Sebastian Vallejo: Where The Wild Zephyrs Sleep.
FREE
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