Franck de las Mercedes

Art has long been a vessel for healing, but for Franck De Las Mercedes, the transformation from devastation to creative rebirth is more than symbolic—it’s literal. His latest body of work, Contil, named after the Nicaraguan word for soot, is a powerful testament to what remains after destruction, and how those remains can be transformed into beauty. --Robert White, Savoir Faire Magazine @savfairemag

Estamos en el área. The winds may turn cold, still the sunflowers turn to the sunlight. The Uptown Sunflowers were the teachers with that message. My gratitude to @nomaanyc @mta and The Poster committee. I've never looked better. I am humbled and the attitude is of gratitude.

Three influential figures bring fresh perspectives to New York’s cultural scene. Nicaraguan artist Franck de las Mercedes discusses his Art on the Ave NYC residency at The Oculus, WTC where he explores themes of identity and urban life through vibrant mixed-media works. De las Mercedes’s residency provides him with a unique public platform to engage audiences directly, blending art and city life in a dynamic fusion that reflects New York’s spirit. Por último, el artista nicaragüense Franck de las Mercedes habla sobre su residencia en Art on the Ave NYC en el Oculus del World Trade Center, donde explora temas de identidad y vida urbana a través de vibrantes obras de técnica mixta. La residencia de De las Mercedes le proporciona una plataforma pública única para interactuar directamente con el público, mezclando el arte y la vida de la ciudad en una fusión dinámica que refleja el espíritu de Nueva York. Special thanks to @mario73c @artontheavenyc    @westieldworldtradecenter @_wtcofficial @wtc @downtownnyc @one_wtc @theportauthority_ny_nj #lowermanhattan #downtownmanhattan #nyc #manhattan #ArtReception #artontheavenyc #artinnyc #art #ArtistReception #nycartscene #ArtistInResidence #ArtOnTheAveNYC #TallerDeArte #fdlm #franckdelasmercedes #nicaraguansintheus #creativespace #artontheave #westfield #wtc #contemporaryart #cunytv #newyorkcityart  #nuevayork #newyorkcity  #CreativeSpace

No more paradise, no more soothing rain, All the sacrifice, the pain is all the same Still I'm pushing onward, alone I can't deny, My presence fills the desert, my spirit never dies Will these lonely nights ever end? Will I live to see my journey's end? As the world awakens me so hard, my values have been changed I make a promise to myself: Never again A dusty godforsaken path, endless to my dismay I know these are the badlands, somehow I'll find my way The vultures that circle, cloud the empty sky, Patiently waiting, they wait for me to die Tortured and beaten, blistered by the sun, Forceful and heartless, have the badlands won? -- Metal Church [Badlands] Mourning Page 040823. Wounded Exile - 2026 37 x 37 in. From the new series "Scattered: A grieving ritual." #mourning #artecontemporáneo #grief #franckdelasmercedes #fdlm

Some say that you're not heartbroken but "brainbroken." That makes sense to me. I want to dive in the void through the work with this approach I'm working like a machine again, with scattered image remnants of the 00s 10s and 20s filtered with my present sensibilities. This is life in the studio. Details of the work in progress and more details to follow.

I seem to look away, Wounds in the mirror waved,  It wasn't my surface... most defiled Head at your feet, fool to your crown Fist on my plate, swallowed it down Enmity gauged, united by fear Tried to endure what I could not forgive Saw things, Saw things, Saw things, Saw things Clearer, Clearer, Once you, were in my... Rearviewmirror... - Pearl Jam [Rearview mirror] Mourning Page 010508. The Prince In The Haunted Doll House - 2026 Mixed media on polycanvas 30 x 24 in. From the new series "Scattered: A grieving ritual." #mourning #artecontemporáneo #grief #franckdelasmercedes #fdlm

With my lofff. The creative wave is too strong. I'm keeping busy without care of where any of it will go. There is a void, I feel it, but I also jump into the void. Working on three series simultaneously and also resolving unfinished works.

Her loss is a total tectonic shift. But oddly there are the things, versions of me, that unexpectedly died with her (not because of her). So as painful as today has been, my attitude must remain of gratitude. Enjoy them if you got'em. HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

They dedicate their lives, To running all of his. He tries to please them all – This bitter man he is. Throughout his life the same – He's battled constantly. This fight he cannot win – A tired man they see no longer cares. The old man then prepares, To die regretfully – That old man here is me. What I've felt, What I've known Never shined through in what I've shown. Never be. Never see. Won't see what might have been. What I've felt, What I've known Never shined through in what I've shown. Never free. Never me. So I dub thee unforgiven. -- Metallica [The Unforgiven] Mourning Page 03040823. Macho Carguero Emocional - 2026 28 x 40 in. From the new series "Scattered: A grieving ritual." #mourning #artecontemporáneo #grief #franckdelasmercedes #fdlm

I can finally add this part of my story to the bio. "As a teenager navigating the pressures of migration, poverty, fatherlessness, addiction, and the unaddressed psychological impact of war and abuse, de las Mercedes faced challenges that led to his incarceration and a non‑violent drug‑related felony conviction at age 18. Despite the long-term barriers imposed by the criminal justice system, he rebuilt his life through art, discipline, and an unwavering commitment to personal transformation. In 2025, after three decades of exemplary conduct and community contribution, he received an official pardon from New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy — a recognition of rehabilitation, integrity, and the arc of a life reclaimed." Ironically, even in art collectives for the underrepresented I found myself an outcast or viewed as an entitled white boy, for refusing to live up to labels, stereotypes or identify as a number. 32 years later I continue to prove the prosecutor wrong. But I’m not bitter. I hope my story can serve the youth before they do something stupid or understand that a wrong turn can mean a life sentence even on the street. I do have to thank the documentary testimony of @jesse_krimes for pushing me to take this step. 92-94 Rising Star Testimony - 2022 Acrylic and ink on canvas, 44 x 38 inches.

You know the saying... coffee is stronger than the tea. Espresso please....

Taught by the powers that preach over me, I can hear their empty reasons. I wouldn't listen, I learnt how to fight, I opened up my mind to treason. But just like the wounded and when it's too late, They'll remember, they'll surrender... Never a care for the people who hate Underestimate me now. But a shot in the dark, One step away from you. Just a shot in the dark, Nothing that you can do. Just a shot in the dark, Always creeping up on you, all right. -- Ozzy Osbourne [Shot In The Dark] @ozzyosbourne Mourning Page 030824. The Inheritance Of Truth - 2026 40 x 28 in. From the new series "Scattered: A grieving ritual." #mourning #artecontemporáneo #grief #franckdelasmercedes #fdlm