Harness, 2023, Digital collage

Harness reflects on the complexity and multilayered experience of the Latinx and Indigenous communities of Los Angeles. Through collage, the artwork includes iconography representing Chicanx culture, the celebration of native plants, natural landmarks (such as the Aliso Tree where the Tongva gathered), and El Pino (the anchor of East LA). Included are references to Mesoamerican culture which pay homage to Latinx ancestry and the erasure of our folklore and alternate forms of knowledge. Collectively, the elements harness energy and remind us of our diversity of experience and our resilience throughout the ages.

Jannette, Domestic Worker and Childcare Provider, Sustain: Essential Workers Portrait Series, 2021, Print collage

Jannette is a domestic worker and childcare provider who participated in an essential worker portrait series that honors workers’ contributions and their struggles during the 2020 lockdown. Jannette is a native Spanish speaker from El Salvador who lives in Mid-City Los Angeles. She commutes from job to job via public transportation, often with narrow margins to get from place to place. Although she works hard, she is struggling to reach her goals.