This artist's Phoenix-themed paintings reveal his love of the desert

The Gallery at The Madison, located in uptown Phoenix, is currently showing an exhibition titled "Art of Life, Art of Love." The desert-inspired artwork was created by Edgar Alejandro Gamez Sosa, who is an accomplished street artist and abstract painter.

The exhibition is being displayed in the lobby of The Madison Center for the Arts, a 24,500-square-foot space with a 40-foot ceiling and open windows. The Gallery is open Wednesdays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and is free to the public.

"Art of Life, Art of Love" will be on display through Dec. 22.

Sosa’s style is inspired by his graffiti roots and love for Arizona’s nature and culture. His artwork is centered around Arizona’s most well-known things in the desert: cacti and colors. He creates artwork with many layers of colors, lines, and textures to express the beauty of street art meeting the Arizona desert.

“I love art and I love that everyone is embracing the Valley now,” he says. “I am just glad to be a part of our culture and I cannot wait to show it to more people”


As he comes from a generation of artists, including his parents and sister, Sosa has been constantly surrounded by artwork. He's been an artist for as long as he can remember but his current style did not evolve until he discovered graffiti in high school. His style further developed as he spent his time at Phoenix Art Museum, where he realized he wanted to paint on canvas.

“It’s surreal. I used to skateboard to the Phoenix Art Museum and just walk around the gallery. To see people walk around and look at my art, I still can’t believe it,” Sosa says.

The most important part for Sosa is that he is also teaching a masterclass series for students within the Madison School District with a Student Art Show from 5 to 7 p.m. on Nov. 20, which will showcase the students’ artwork alongside Sosa’s.

“This was the most important and impactful part of it,” Sosa says. “It is really cool to show kids how to draw things and have fun with their own art and culture. If I can inspire one out of the thousand kids that see this class, it would make it everything for me."

Madison Center for the Arts is located at 5601 N. 16th Street. Visit the website for more information.