Experiences shared to me by influential people in my life over time become nostalgia. I'm amazed to learn about how they lived their lives prior to major technological advances as opposed to how life is now. This motivates me to preserve, document, and recreate their memories/experiences through different artforms. I’m a multidisciplinary artist and some of the major subjects in my art involve Mexican culture, its traditions, artifacts, and things in everyday life. Current events also play an important role in my artwork such as the Covid-19 pandemic and gentrification in my community, La Villita (Little Village).

As a Little Village artist I want to help raise awareness on the gentrification issue through my art in a way that Spanish speaking or even illiterate community residents can understand and gain courage to help spread awareness on the issue. My primary form of research is personally interacting with people and my environments. This allows or guides me to get different points of views on the social and capitalist issues going on around me and in the world. Some of my recent work like El Restaurante El Fabuloso en La Villita(Window Series), touches base on some of the gentrification already happening across the street from my house. The painting involves the perspective of “looking outside” a window to see Panda Express in place of an old Mexican restaurant building known as El Fabuloso. The mood in the painting is set to be dramatic and serious through a nighttime setting by using dark, cool colors. The Panda Express’ bright LED logo is painted in vibrant colors red and white to give off the illusion of the LED lights piercing through the household’s window.

For my thesis main project, I have been creating several plaster castings of La Villita’s iconic welcoming arch. These plaster castings are hand held sculptural pieces that will be placed in the actual La Villita arch. The people/viewers will be encouraged to take a plaster casting with the intention for them to socially interact with the pieces throughout the community by posing with them in places they deem to be significant in Little Village. The outcome is for the community to acknowledge the drastic changes in businesses and housing that are no longer occupied by Latin or Mexican residents. It will also serve as a form of reflection so that they continue to appreciate what the community still has to offer them. In the near future I want to give back to the community by spreading my artistic knowledge. By offering to teach art classes or workshops it can/will help give people opportunities to express themselves and communicate with other people in ways other than verbal or written English language.