Lic. Rubén Isidoro Arellano Medina (snob), Oaxacan visual artist, was born on June 6, 1986, in the city of Oaxaca, in the central region (Central Valleys). From an early age, he demonstrated skill and creativity in painting, participating in murals and art competitions throughout secondary and high school, winning several awards and recognitions for his participation in these events. This artist's painting style has evolved, beginning with landscape painting of Oaxacan landscapes, which have been part of his life and inspiration. On the other hand, SNOB is the name of the "ALTER EGO" that focuses on capturing what it defines as POP REGIONALISM, fusing the Oaxacan regionalist style with POP art and the elements that orbit these styles, resulting in this pictorial movement that reflects a vision of Oaxacan culture to address social, cultural, environmental, gastronomic, artistic, political, and psychological themes to express situations that are part of their daily lives. His training is self-taught, although he attended the Faculty of Fine Arts in his hometown, but had to leave early to continue his individual production and to form the collective "BALAS PERDIDAS" in 2017. It is worth mentioning that this collective is focused on developing its own pictorial language, coming together solely to produce Pop Regionalist paintings. Some of the exhibitions in which this artist has participated are:

Below, you can see some works and a brief explanation of the different styles the artist uses to contextualize the elements, iconography, factors, and origins of the work in a contemporary context. It is worth mentioning that only one work from each style is explained, each piece having a different meaning.

Title: Sabina POP

Technique: Mixed media on canvas

Measurements: 100 x 100 cm

Year: 2024

Title: November 02

Technique: Mixed media on canvas

Measurements: 150 x 130 cm

Year: 2023

In this work, the artist captures his perception of the Day of the Dead, as the essence of altars, comparsas, and all the ornamentation surrounding these traditions is maintained in the suburbs. However, in the artist's opinion, this holiday is influenced by other cultures. We have always seen many people in the comparsas dressed up as characters from Hollywood movies or wearing attire from other cultures. In a more intimate sense, the artist has always emphasized that it is his favorite time of year. Since he was a child, he always went out "to ask for the dead," a term used in the Oaxacan suburbs to go from house to house asking for offerings for the dead, which basically consisted of fruit, sweets, and bread of the dead.

Title: Having fun in Zicatela

Technique: Mixed media on canvas

Measurements: 150 x 130 cm

Year: 2024

This piece is the embodiment of Snob's "POP REGIONALISM" style. In it, we see the blend of iconography, color palette, composition, and aesthetic sense of Oaxacan elements such as the tejate, mushrooms, the alebrije frog, and the black clay whistle. On the other hand, we have elements such as: ED-209 from Robocop, a Lego figure, Betty Boop, Chilly Willy, Copper Boy from the Galactic Falcons, and a tazo (a type of bowl) acting as the sun in an Oaxacan beach setting where many things happen at once and the characters play roles in everyday life.

Title: Zipolite Time

Technique: Mixed media on canvas

Dimensions: 130 x 150 cm

Year: 2023

Title: Zipolite Time

Technique: Mixed media on canvas

Dimensions: 130 x 150 cm

Year: 2023

Title: Mictlantecuhtli POP

Technique: Mixed media on canvas

Dimensions: 136 x 120 cm

Year: 2023

Title: Stranded Beetle

Technique: Oil on wood panel

Dimensions: 62 x 47 cm

Year: 2022

Title: Alebrije Dragon 3

Technique: Mixed media on canvas

Measurements: 170 x 130 cm

Year: 2024

Alebrije dragons are part of our Oaxacan culture and represent the creative and artistic side of our indigenous and magical peoples. For me, they are part of my life and my childhood. During my childhood, I admired them at the street stalls that were set up in the Zócalo of our capital. At the same time, I wondered if they were real and why they had such beautiful colors, leaving their essence imprinted on my subconscious. It is also worth mentioning that in some towns, the dragon alebrije represents strength, spirituality, and virility.

Title: Black Clay Owl

Technique: Mixed media on canvas

Measurements: 120 x 120 cm

Year: 2023

Black clay figurines and sculptures are a ceramic technique that has been made in our state for over 500 years. For Snob, they have been a recurring element since her childhood, as these items existed in her home and, at one stage of her childhood, they were just another toy she spent time with, mainly birds, as we see in her black clay owl work. Whistles and salt shakers are also part of this Oaxacan craft.

Title: Dragon Alebrije 2

Technique: Oil on canvas

Dimensions: 100 x 100 cm

Year: 2023

Title: Chango Alebrije

Technique: Oil on canvas

Measurements: 100 x 100 cm

Year: 2023

Title: Sabina and Mictlantecuhtli

Artist: Snob

Technique: Mixed media on canvas

Measurements: 120 x 100 cm

Year: 2023

This work reflects the mystical correlation between two icons of our culture, María Sabina and Mictlantecuhtli, expressing the transition that occurs between life when undergoing the journey of hallucinogenic mushrooms, or the magical children, as María Sabina herself called them, and the transition from death to Mictlán, a belief held in the Mexica, Zapotec, and Mixtec settlements.

Title: Mystical Drink

Technique: Oil on canvas

Dimensions: 100 x 100 cm

Year: 2023

Title: Frog Alebrije Defending the Nicuatole

Technique: Oil on canvas

Measurements: 115 x 135 cm

Year: 2023