Biography
Painter of The City of Angels
Hector Ponce was born in Villa Delgado, an extremely poor neighborhood in the suburbs of Salvador. Due to the environmental and economic conditions during his youth, he was not able to acquire a quality education. Throughout his youth, the only authority and guide Hector could ever trust was his mother, the late Socorro Ponce. It was because of her loving guidance that he aspired to break out of the poverty of his youth. He earnestly desired to live a better life for himself and his family. It was during the 1970’s that Hector decided that to find his “El Dorado”, he would have to go “North”.
His travels first took him to Mexico, where he lived for six years. It was here that he began to paint commercial art and develop his unique style of painting with its vibrant colors and amusing depictions of everyday life. It was also in Mexico that Hector began to develop an important part of his personality, which is to share his heart with his fellow man. In the early 80’s, after having lived in Mexico for 6 years, he decided to continue on his journey North. Hector entered the United States illegally, almost penniless and with few prospects. But he was armed with the ambition that was instilled in him by his desire to escape the poverty of his youth the wisdom imparted to him by his mother, and the life knowledge that he gained on his travels North.
Like the Spanish Conquistadores of old, Hector Ponce was ready to stake a claim in this strange land.
Hector was born a Gemini, and that is why he believes he is a man of luck. The stars fall on his head like rain from the sky. People who have met Hector say he is "out of it.”. By “it”, they mean the common world, the “norm”.
They say this because he is a clown and completely blunt with his beliefs, like a dent in the smooth normalcy of common society. People try to classify his art and personality to conform to their beliefs. But those of us who are fortunate to know Hector on a personal level, know that he cannot be defined.
He is just Hector, that’s it, there is no other. The mold wasn’t broken when he was born, like some have said. There was no mold, he was custom made to bring life into an otherwise dreary world.
His designs and colors are vibrant, with layouts full of impact, and just like flowers attract bees, his work attracts the eyes of the people.
And yes, Hector has found his “El Dorado” in this land of opportunity. After many years of hard work and complications, he was able to obtain legal status in the United States. He currently lives on his ranch just north of Los Angeles.
This page is dedicated to his mother, who gave him the wisdom and inspiration to succeed against all of life’s obstacles. He would also like to give a special “Thank you” to the United States of America, the country that accepted him as he was, with his lack of a formal education and without financial resources, and gave him the opportunity to use his talent to fulfill his life’s dreams.