Sergio Hernandez
Sergio Hernandez was born in Los Angeles, and raised in the Southeast area, known as the
Florence/Firestone district. From an early age, drawing consumed Sergio’s interest. As a high
school student, he excelled in art and received an art scholarship. He attended the prestigious
Otis Art Institute for one summer. At this point in his life, he realized that he wanted to be
an artist.
He graduated from Huntington Park High School in 1966. After graduation, he attended
West Los Angeles Junior College. In 1969 while working as a college recruiter for the Centro
Joaquin Murrieta in Los Angeles, the Director of the program suggested that he apply to the
newly established Equal Opportunity Program (EOP). He applied and was accepted to San Fernando
Valley State College. This experience forever changed his life; he obtained degrees in Chicano
Studies and Art in 1977.
Sergio was a student during the turbulent 60’s and 70’s, and became involved in the struggle
for social justice and civil rights. He worked on the Chicano student newspaper and other
periodicals, where he was able to hone his cartoon work.
He contributed to the first Chicano
social political magazine Con Safos. Sergio has worked as an investigator for the Los Angeles
County Public Defender’s San Fernando office. As he nears the end of his very rewarding career
at the Public Defender’s offices, he will be devoting more time to his first love: painting and
drawing. Sergio has shown his work at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Mexican Fine
Arts Museum of Chicago and the Oakland Museum of California, among others.