Artist Statement

     My artwork is a representation of my culture through my perspective. I am of Mexican and German descent; however, I was predominately raised around Chicano culture. My perspective of my own culture at times has been limited due to assimilation imposed on my family. As a result, I seek reconnection through my work.

     I frequently depict imagery related to my Mexican heritage. My maternal grandfather, a Bracero railroader, immigrated from Zacatecas, Mexico, and brought the family to East Los Angeles. Even my father who was born in Berlin, Germany, grew up surrounded by Chicano culture; he immigrated to Los Angeles at age four. Mexican American culture is all I've ever known yet I still feel disconnected from it. My parents, like many from their generation, didn't pass down their language; it was deemed unnecessary. They were taught to assimilate into American culture, where your proximity to whiteness would bring better opportunities. However, the only constant for me has been the foods I grew up with and my mother's family in Los Angeles. Childhood memories of big birthday parties; drunk, loud Tíos, and the Catholic Church. We are a Mexican American stereotype, and I am proud of it. It is a bright and vibrant culture and the colors I use in my compositions reflect that.

     I find comfort and pride in the household items I grew up with. For many, food is an important connection to heritage; I utilize this throughout my work. I find beauty in objects many people overlook such as simple kitchen items. Through my compositions I seek to understand how we find inclusion through common objects. I've translated that into my work by depicting stereotypical brands, labels, and anything present in my home as modern still lifes. These products bring me a sense of familiarity and connection. In addition to kitchen items and food objects, various animal subjects often recur in my compositions. Adding these subjects to my work make it feel like more than just a still life; it adds a lightheartedness to the piece, as well as a bizarre humor to it.

     Through my work I intend to keep exploring my culture and the complex ways I navigate society through it. To what extent does our race define our culture? Furthermore, how many of us cling to stereotypes within our own culture as a desperate attempt to feel connected? I aspire to understand how our personal relationship to objects present within our specific communities shape us.