The Art Behind Red Iguana’s Festive Dining Experience
Red Iguana isn’t just beloved for our classic Mexican dishes. Our restaurants are also mini-art galleries, each filled with curated pieces from local and international artists. We’re proud of Red Iguana’s ever-expanding art collection, as a representation of what’s important to us and our heritage. And the stories behind these artists only add to the vibrant contribution of each piece.
Don’t miss viewing the following works whenever you visit us. Each piece was carefully selected for our collection, with the intention of celebrating the art and culture that makes our community so special.
Pilar Pobil
If you’ve been to the Red Iguana 2, you might have noticed a portrait of Jerry Garcia, the legendary Grateful Dead frontman. This piece is the work of Pilar Pobil, a self-taught artist who started creating later in life, after years of marriage and raising three children.
Born in Spain, Pobil’s artistic journey didn’t begin until she was in her forties. It was after moving to the United States that she finally embarked on her artistic career in earnest.
Pobil’s artistic style is diverse. Working in oils, acrylics, watercolors and clay sculpture, she focused primarily on expression. Her art is a reflection of her ever-changing perceptions, often surprising even herself with its evolution.
“I use form, color, light, and shadow, to define as strongly as I can what I want the viewer to see and feel”, she noted.
Pobil passed away in November at age 98 but her spirit lives on in the beautiful art she created.
The next time you visit Red Iguana, take a moment to appreciate Pobil’s “Jerry Garcia” portrait. Notice how she captures not just his physical likeness, but also the essence of his spirit and the era he represented.
Jimmi Toro
Jimmi Toro’s “Statue of Liberty” graces the walls at Red Iguana 2. Toro is a multifaceted artist — along with his incredible artwork he is also a singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and music producer. His artwork highlights emotional connections and explores the unknown, with common themes surrounding balance amidst struggle.
Toro’s artistic influences range from the surrealism of Joan Miró to the prolific variety of Pablo Picasso, and the symbolism of Gustav Klimt. You can see evidence of these influences in his work, including the “Statue of Liberty” piece at Red Iguana.
His philosophy on art: “When someone purchases or even views a piece of art, they can invite beauty into their lives, and in effect, open their eyes to something transcendent, making a lasting connection to, and establishing a relationship with this beauty.”
Clam Lynch
Clam Lynch, whose piece “Be Kind” can be found at Red Iguana 2, is a lifelong artist and designer with a unique perspective that embraces color, pop culture and cartoon imagery. His career is multi-faceted, including comedy, children’s programming, book authorship, production design and music video direction.
Lynch’s artistic journey has taken him from the stages of theaters to the sets of MTV and VH1, where he created music videos. He describes his creative process as, “A line, a shape, an image, or word comes to me and I try just to surrender and let it take over.”
Lynch paints on smoothed, finished plywood and also frames his own work. This hands-on approach allows him to fully express himself and his vision, resulting in pieces that truly embody his artistic philosophy.
SRIL
SRIL’s “Salvador Dali Portrait” at Red Iguana 2 is one of our favorites, and comes from a renowned mural and aerosol artist who specializes in hyper-realistic portraits. SRIL combines life-like precision with a depth of understanding that is rare in his medium. He’s been commissioned by the Utah Jazz, Pluralsight, Marriott, and Post Malone.
You might already know SRIL’s work as the artist behind the largest mural in Utah, titled “ATLAS.” It stands at over 3,600 square feet, depicting Atlas holding the world on his shoulders. He was named Utah’s best visual artist in 2020 and 2022, and has been awarded the title of Best Public Artist multiple times. His “Godlike” mural made history as the first to reach the #1 post on Reddit, gaining over 5 million views (and counting).
SRIL’s passion for creating meaningful art that connects with people from all walks of life is easy to see in each painting, and we’re thrilled to have one of his pieces hanging in a Red Iguana.
There’s So Much More to See
Whether you visit Red Iguana for the food, the art, or both, we invite you to explore the creative energy that fills our walls. We’re honored to showcase these incredible artists and share their stories with you.
