Art Portfolio

Sweet

(2018)

Acrylic Paint on 12x12 Canvas

My Lipgloss

(2019)

Acrylic Paint on 8x8 Canvas

Femininity in presentation and in the personal lives of all individuals is subjective. In other words, ‘femininity’ looks different to different individuals, and doesn't always have to follow a rigid guideline or set of rules. Personally, that’s what makes femininity or feminine presentation so beautiful. This is especially important when creating art or writing or anything creative — beauty often has racist, heteronormative, ableist values, and its critical that all creatives actively participate in including all kinds of beauty, not just the kind that is cherished and upheld by Western Imperialist/European ideologies. It is no secret that we live in a patriarchal society, where women, and in particular Black and Brown women, other racial and ethnic minorities, queer and trans women, nonbinary or genderqueer/fluid/non-conforming individuals, and any femme/fem-identifying individuals, are criticized and evaluated through the male gaze. Women and femme/fem-identifying persons are not free agents in a male supremacist world and we are denied bodily autonomy. However, there comes a great deal of power in demanding bodily autonomy and reclaiming our sexuality and sensuality for our own benefit. It reclaims power from our oppressors and it emboldens us to live our lives in whatever way we see fit. That is always the goal. We should all feel comfortable being ourselves and choosing the path we wish to follow. Femme power is beautiful. It’s revolutionary

Temple

(2017)

Acrylic Paint on 8x10 Canvas

Skin

(2018)

Acrylic Paint on 12x16 Canvas

Sugar

(2017)

Acrylic Paint on 8x10 Canvas

Growing Milkweeds

(2021)

Oil paint on 24x32 Canvas

Milkweed is a type of flowering plant that plays a vital role in the life cycle of monarch butterflies. Every year during the fall, monarch butterflies migrate to central Mexico, a breathtaking phenomenon that carries strong cultural significance for the people of the state of Michoacán, Mexico, where my parents are from. The monarch butterflies arrive in Mexico during Dia de los Muertos, and are believed to be the souls of our ancestors and deceased loved ones — a belief that comes from the Mazahuas and Purepechas indigenous peoples. Like the orange of the cempasuchil, or Mexican marigold, the orange of the monarch wings guide our ancestors and deceased loved ones to our ofrendas. Growing Milkweeds takes the cultural significance of monarch butterflies and merges it with modern beliefs of monarch butterflies and their life cycles as representing transformation and rebirth. This painting, started during a period of my life where change and personal growth was halted by feelings of isolation, disconnect, and disappointment, gradually developed into a sort of “hatching” into a new person — a version of myself I felt proud of. Growing Milkweeds is my reminder to be myself, and loved ones will always be there to support me.

Impending Doom

(2017)

Acrylic Paint on 16x20 Canvas

La Ansiedad

(2017)

Acrylic Paint on 12x16 Canvas Board

A lot of my earlier pieces were intended to make the subjects look vulnerable and emotional because they are a reflection of my own emotional state. "Impending Doom" and "La Ansiedad" in particular were very emotional paintings, created during a time in my life where I felt the most vulnerable. I struggled a lot to cope with my anxiety and depression during the time I created those paintings, and I used art as an outlet for my emotions. The things I did not want to write in text or speak out loud, I painted, and it became a very powerful and personal tool for me to express my thoughts and emotions. This mode of expression helped me learn to love myself, and also helped me cope with my internal struggles.

Enter the Garden

(2019)

Acrylic Paint on 24x36 Canvas

"Enter the Garden," is a reflection of the love and confidence I learned to acquire since my last two emotional pieces, "La Ansiedad" and "Impending Doom". This painting was created with inspiration from Latinx musician Ambar Lucid’s debut album "Garden of Lucid." This painting is quite literally a reflection of my own struggles with my gender and sexuality, and the love I came to have for it. It is a symbol of my newfound pride and confidence in coming out when I transitioned to college. The album encouraged me to digest and investigate how women and femmes/fems seek to better understand themselves in a patriarchal, cisnormative, and heteronormative world. The piece has all to do with reclaiming power over our bodies and growing anew, like flowers in a garden.

Mal De Mil Ojos

(2019)

Acrylic Paint on 12x12 Wood Panel

Other pieces, like "Mal De Mil Ojos", carry heavier spiritual and mystical elements and undertones, relating to my upbringing and cultural background. My parents are both immigrants from Mexico, and my mom in particular is very spiritual. El Mal de Ojo, or the Evil Eye, is a symbol of protection from malice others might wish upon you. Growing up, I always wore a red woven evil eye bracelet. I do my own "limpias" whenever I’ve encountered a lot of misfortune in a short period of time. This piece, "Mal de Mil Ojos," is both a spiritual ode to my heritage and the "part two" to "La Ansiedad." The English translation to "La Ansiedad" is "The Anxiety," and the painting is stylized as a Loteria card. Others have interpreted it as a tarot card, which carried mystical and spiritual undertones in and of itself. At the time I completed "La Ansiedad," I was struggling a great deal with my mental health, and it was particularly difficult for me to cope with my anxiety. I’d have frequent anxiety attacks and night terrors. "La Ansiedad" is meant to represent this period of my life, as if this was the card I was dealt with, or as if this was the only card missing to complete my Loteria card. The face depicted on the card is meant to cause discomfort. Similarly, "Mal de Mil Ojos" depicts human eyes, but rather than causing discomfort or displeasure, the evil eyes are casting away any misfortune or malevolent glares that may create discord in my life. It’s meant to represent my growth in my ability to cope with my anxiety, and in my confidence.