Steel Grinding Since 1950, 2020, Acrylic on panel

Steel Grinding Since 1950 is a self-portrait in front of a metal processing facility in Southeast Los Angeles, where I grew up. The factory facade is characteristic of the many factories along the industrialized areas of the LA River, which have shaped how our communities experience the river. The portrait is a reflection on the industrial history of the area, the impact the built environment has on our health, and the yearning for open and natural space. The infrastructure of the river was not designed to maximize the health of our communities, but Angelenos will continually redefine the built environment.

Looking Through My Window, 2020, Oil on panel

Looking Through My Window is a portrait of a palm tree from the view of the living room in my childhood home. The palm tree has become synonymous with the glamor of Los Angeles and although it has been banally used to represent Los Angeles, I made a portrait to capture the palm for myself. The Mexican palm was brought to an alien and hostile land as an ornamental organism to market California. Similarly, the palm tree is symbolic of my family’s migration to Los Angeles from Mexico and their struggle to thrive in a new land.