Space One Eleven (SOE) presents Navegando la Masculinidad de la Frontera / Navigating the Border’s Masculinity, an exhibition of artwork by José Villalobos. The exhibition will be on view from February 23 – April 17, 2026, at Space One Eleven, 2407 Second Avenue North in Birmingham. An opening reception will be held Thursday, February 19, from 5:30 to 7:00 pm. 

José Villalobos is a multidisciplinary artist exploring identity, queerness, and cultural heritage through sculpture, performance, and installation. Growing up between El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, he confronts the conflicts between tradition, faith, and sexuality within Mexican and American cultures. Rooted in personal experience, his practice challenges machismo and the violence of assimilation, transforming materials and symbols to reclaim queer visibility. Villalobos has exhibited nationally and internationally and is a recipient of the Joan Mitchell Painters & Sculptors Grant. Recently he became a Trellis Art Fund Stepping Stone. Fellow. His work affirms resilience, tenderness, and the power of self-expression within queer and borderland communities.

For the exhibition “Navegando la Masculinidad de la Frontera / Navigating the Border’s Masculinity,” Villalobos presents a collection of new and past works that create a dialogue about masculinities within Norteño culture, its subcultural predecessors, and related historical movements. Villalobos’ aesthetic often combines the rugged iconography of the West (boots, cowboy hats, leather, ropes) with the flamboyance, glitter, and vulnerability of queer expression. The result is a powerful tension: the imagery of strength, control, even violence (e.g., rodeo, bull-taming) juxtaposed with fragility, costume play, and critique of the structures that define “manhood.”

Space One Eleven (SOE) is a nonprofit contemporary art space in Birmingham, Alabama. For four decades, SOE has championed practicing artists and provided arts education to children and youth. SOE’s exhibitions address themes of social justice, foster public dialogue, and enrich Birmingham’s cultural landscape.

Exhibition on view: February 23 – April 17, 2026

Opening reception: Thursday, February 19, 5:30-7:00pm

Gallery Hours Tuesday through Friday, 10:00 am–5:00 pm, and by appointment

Accessibility: SOE’s studios and galleries are wheelchair-accessible. All exhibitions and public programs are free and open to the public.