My work is influenced, both consciously and subconsciously, by my own heritage and family history. My father immigrated from the small village of Macuilxóchitl in Oaxaca, Mexico. His family is part of the Zapotec culture, an indigenous group native to the Oaxaca valley. His mother spoke only Zapoteco, the indigenous dialect of the area, and his father knew Zapoteco and conversational Spanish. I grew up listening to my dad’s fantastical stories of duendes (dwarves), shape-shifters, and other supernatural creatures, stories that have shaped my interests. Though I work in traditional mediums like oil paint, my interests also lie in tattoo work, ink, and graffiti/stencils.
Along with my background my work is informed by indigenous Mesoamerican culture, world mythology/religions, subverting traditional judeo-Christian beliefs, cryptids, and the occult and its symbols. My work explores self-perception, how others perceive us, and being perceived in ways we don’t choose. I want to tell stories and explore themes of identity within a post-colonial society while also subverting the traditional white-colonial gaze. I often use elements of horror and monstrosity to represent the liminality postcolonial peoples and minorities often feel like they reside in; particularly when it comes to identity, religion, and culture.