Artist Statement
I am an artist in the genre of Socially Engaged Practice Art–a merger of creative practice with community social justice work. The core of my practice is my training as a classical painter, and group facilitator which I utilize to create gallery work, community murals, installation works, and art activations. This work includes creating public art projects, mentoring BIPOC youth, studio art practice, and art activism.
My work is an exploration of personal identity in the context of broader Latino narratives. The work touches on ideas of displacement, migration, exclusion, ancestor work, and language. My work draws from my personal family history and experience mentoring migrant young people who have experienced incarceration. The themes I explore in my work include belonging, community healing, and counternarrative. I am a mid-career artist with commissions from private, corporate and civic institutions in the Seattle area.
I believe in abolishing systems of oppression such as systemic racism, the prison-industrial complex, environmental injustice, systemic poverty, racialized capitalism, and settler colonialism of indigenous land. I believe the way forward is through creating sustainable systems, restorative justice, and community support networks. The arts are a force multiplier for change, liberation and justice. Art is a tool for amplifying marginalized voices and giving visibility to the subaltern. Connecting with creative practice supports individuals and communities to process historical and ongoing trauma. The arts allow us to connect with our collective joy and brilliance. Through creating and experiencing art we build critical consciousness, necessary for identifying and overcoming oppression.
My work is an exploration of personal identity in the context of broader Latino narratives. The work touches on ideas of displacement, migration, exclusion, ancestor work, and language. My work draws from my personal family history and experience mentoring migrant young people who have experienced incarceration. The themes I explore in my work include belonging, community healing, and counternarrative. I am a mid-career artist with commissions from private, corporate and civic institutions in the Seattle area.
I believe in abolishing systems of oppression such as systemic racism, the prison-industrial complex, environmental injustice, systemic poverty, racialized capitalism, and settler colonialism of indigenous land. I believe the way forward is through creating sustainable systems, restorative justice, and community support networks. The arts are a force multiplier for change, liberation and justice. Art is a tool for amplifying marginalized voices and giving visibility to the subaltern. Connecting with creative practice supports individuals and communities to process historical and ongoing trauma. The arts allow us to connect with our collective joy and brilliance. Through creating and experiencing art we build critical consciousness, necessary for identifying and overcoming oppression.