Bio
Born and raised in East Side San Jose to Mexican parents, everything I do leads back to my culture and community. Growing up, I was always surrounded by Chicano culture, whether it was lowriders, murals, or music. I soon learned how Chicano culture is deeply rooted in pride, resistance, and expression. Exposed to many social organizations and having had the opportunity to collaborate with other members of my community, I realized the importance of art in these spaces. I have memories of community events at a nearby park, where many artists came together to collaborate not only with one another but with the community, creating amazing works that highlighted our stories. It was then that I realized these stories are told to us by elders, and are ones that should be passed on to future generations.
Artist
Statement
Longing for a deeper connection with my culture and family, I found a way to do so through my paintings, which are the main subjects of my pieces. I work with many forms of medium; water color, gouache, ink, but am particularly fond of acrylic and oil paint. I immediately fell in love with oil due to its richness in colors. Oil paint is great as the slow drying time allows for seamless blending, which helps with realism and depth in my work. I take a surrealist approach with my paintings as this allows me to combine cultural pride with dream-like imagery, even tapping into ideas around folklore. I am deeply influenced by Chicano and Latino art, which I believe is very present in my work, particularly in my choice of colors. My palette typically includes a combination of saturated dark and moody colors made by deep reds and violets, bright yellows, and rich blues. My choice of color palette and imagery not only pays tribute to my Mexican heritage, but it also evokes joy and a deep emotional connection with the subject while working as a political, social, and spiritual message.