Jose A. Lopez Ortega: Portraits of Heroes

Multi-faceted artist Jose A. Lopez Ortega was born in Puerto Rico but moved to Brooklyn at age 3. After studying at the High School for Art and Design and earning his art degree at the Pratt Institute, Ortega moved to New Jersey, added a Master’s degree in education and taught art for many years in the Lakewood, NJ, school system.

Looking for a way to help students struggling with problems, he added a Divinity Degree from the New Brunswick Theological Society. The Society commissioned him to illustrate biblical stories, leading to books aimed at the young using formats from Manga-inspired comics to graphic novels.He also has published a richly illustrated play on Puerto Rican history.

Ortega refers to himself as a “paper artist.” Close examination shows that his highly original portraits are actually complex collages embellished with painting and ink, work he describes as “pieces of a person’s life.”

Ortega says he always felt an affinity to the Jewish religion, reaffirmed by the many Jewish teachers who helped him in his early years. He and his wife attend synagogue regularly.  Many of his portraits portray the righteous who helped Jews during the Holocaust.  Heroic women of the Bible and contemporary women whose accomplishments are not fully appreciated are other frequent subjects.

Ortega’s works in the collection of the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles brought him to the attention of the Heller Museum curator and resulted in this exhibition. Thanks to his generosity, many of his portraits are now in the Heller Museum’s permanent collection.