ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Husband and wife Francisco and Juanairis Collado stood together in the corner of Rigo Peralta Art Studio, quietly admiring the work of fellow Latino artists.
Around them, carefully curated pieces — a striking mix of realism and hyperrealism — filled the space, drawing viewers in.
For studio owner Rigo Peralta, the scene on Friday night's opening of the "Hyperrealism & Realism" show was exactly what he had hoped for: a packed room, a diverse audience and artwork that sought attention.
"When I saw all the work together for the first time, it felt like something stirring."Allentown artist Rigo Peralta
“It’s a full house, and seeing such a diverse crowd in here means a lot to me,” Peralta said inside the studio at 1601 W. Chew St.
“This is something that hasn’t been seen in this area before.”
As Peralta explained, hyperrealism is about pushing boundaries — while realism, made famous in the 19th century, particularly in France by artists Gustave Courbet, Jean-François Millet and Honoré Daumier — depicts things as they are.
The exhibition, on display through February, features Latino artists from across the United States and Venezuela, including Ismael Checo, Francisco Collado, Juanairis Collado, Ruddy Tavera, Jacqueline Meyerson, Scott Bricher, Karina Rodríguez, Alonzo Morales and Carlos Bruscianelli.
The pieces were curated by Peralta and Tavera, who deliberately placed hyperrealistic works alongside academic realism, letting viewers experience the contrast in technique and philosophy.
“I wanted to confront hyperrealism and academic realism,” Peralta said.
“They use different techniques and different ways of seeing, but both deserve to be considered.
"When I saw all the work together for the first time, it felt like something stirring — like it shook the space.”
Light and contrast
Checo, a longtime friend of Peralta, traveled from New York to take part in the exhibition.
A Dominican Republic native now living in Queens said showing work outside of New York offers a refreshing perspective.
“In New York, you’re often showing with people you already know,” Checo said. “Here, I don’t know anyone — and that’s good. You get to meet new people and new eyes.”
One of Checo’s featured works," Contra Luz," features a young girl, dressed for winter, standing inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She is standing in front of French artist Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux's famous sculptures.
"It’s about capturing a moment that could happen at any time."Artist Ismael Checo
Checo said the visual standout explores contrast both visually and symbolically.
“When you’re standing in a window, and the light comes from behind, everything becomes contrast,” he said.
"In this painting, it’s about contrast — she’s overdressed, they’re naked, her skin is dark, theirs is very white. I try to capture moments that make people stop and think.”
Checo said his work often centers on fleeting, everyday moments — a child leaving toys behind, fruit forgotten on a table or a glance inside a museum.
“It’s about capturing a moment that could happen at any time,” he said. “That’s what realism means to me.”
A shared cultural exchange
For Francisco Collado and his wife, Juanairis, of Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, exhibiting together was both personal and affirming.
They have shown their work nationally, including exhibitions in Denver, Colorado, and Tulsa, Oklahoma.
“We met through art,” Juanairis Collado said. “He was already an artist when we met, and I started studying later. Art is something we live with every day.”
Her realistic floral drawing with a violin composition titled "Spring Melody" combines her love of nature and music.
“I love flowers — the beauty, the color,” she said. “And music has always been important to me. The violin is very romantic, and I wanted to capture that feeling.”
Francisco Collado said sharing space with his wife — and with other Latino artists — carried special meaning.
Collado, who hails from San Cristobal, Dominican Republic, is studying, with his wife, at Ani Art Academies Waichulis in Bear Creek, Luzerne County, founded by artist Anthony J. Waichulis, and follows a curriculum based on realism.
He said one of his featured paintings, a hyperrealistic rendering of a blue crayon, reflects the moment he first recognized his desire to become an artist.
I
“As children, we all scribble with crayons,” Collado said. “Almost always. It’s like saying all children are artists at a very young age, because we all start on that path.
"Then some of us decide to do other things — but as children, that’s where it begins.”
'What's possible for art in this city'
For Peralta, whose own pieces adorn the back of the gallery space, that sense of shared culture and exchange is central to the studio's mission.
"We come from different places and different experiences, but being able to show together, and to see our work alongside artists we admire, is powerful."Rigo Peralta
“We have artists from New York, Philadelphia, Las Vegas, Venezuela and right here locally,” he said.
“This show proves what’s possible for art in this city.”
Buoyed by the strong turnout — which included Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk, Allentown City Council Vice President Cynthia Mota and a lively jazz performance — he said he hopes to turn the exhibition into an annual event to spotlight diverse artists.
"We come from different places and different experiences, but being able to show together, and to see our work alongside artists we admire, is powerful,” he said.
For more information on the exhibition, visit Peralta's website andInstagram.
