An autodidact of the disciplines of photography and both abstract and color field painting, Salvador “Chava” Mancera draws influence from synesthetic experience, daily living, and natural abundance.  

After receiving an Associate’s Degree in Arts from Elgin Community College in 2006, his work went to exhibition at Tom Robinson Gallery in Humboldt Park and the Hairpin Arts Centre in Lincoln Square.  Additional artwork has been displayed at Mixed Co. Salon, Sugar Fly Salon, Savvy Settings Home, and Cup & Spoon Cafe.

Outside of the gallery, Chava’s vision has also manifested in the form of set and costume design for the Josephinum Academy of the Sacred Heart in Bucktown.  Productions include “Ubu Roi” (2018), “Julius Caesar” (2019), and the American premier of the Spanish play “Varadas (Castaways)” (2020). 

As a long-time resident of Chicago, he actively marries art and community through education across the city.  A Teaching Artist for the Chicago History Museum’s Literature program since 2018, he has engaged elementary students annually with the history of civic engagement and a focus on protest art.  His three month long curriculum has been taught at schools in Humboldt Park, Little Village, Brighton Park, and Pilsen.

In 2020, through experience and experimentation, Chava turned his vision into an independent e-commerce shop offering original artwork, prints, and greeting cards.  His offerings can be shopped at local boutiques in Chicago.

Chava’s work hangs proudly in the homes of private collectors throughout the Chicagoland area, in Los Angeles, Brooklyn, NY, Ashville, NC, and Ontario, Canada.