Ricardo Moctezuma

Artist Statement

I initially picked up the pencil to communicate ideas, and put to paper what I was thinking, from stories, songs, and games. If I had an idea, I would draw a sketch into my notebook in school and then bring it back home to flesh out my creativity. This creative process felt therapeutic, and it became evident overtime that the work I was producing was an indirect reflection of my emotions. This was my only form of venting, in a culture that disapproved any sensitivity from a boy. I myself was a sensitive child, and I hated myself because of it. I would cry in front of my peers and the reaction I got conditioned me to feel less of a man, as a result, I suppressed my emotions in my teen years. I stopped growing attached to new people and bottled up as much as I could. If I never got attached, I could never get hurt. I was an emotionally distant person and felt disconnected from myself, but I feel I must share the experience I underwent. Toxic Masculinity is a problem in the United States for male youth and my art displays my experience and what others are experiencing.

The work contains a singular figure in an array of mediums, colors and positions. The non-confronting positions, the soft lighting, the vibrant and dramatic color use, to show the disconnection and internal conflict that I felt. These works narrate a journey of reflection, enlightenment, and dread.