Born and raised in California by Zapotec parents from Oaxaca, Mexico, my artwork explores the syntheses of cultures as part of a larger dialogue about identity and belonging.
As the first-born son, I spent much of my youth trying to escape the culture of my family in order to integrate—and it was encouraged so I could help my family become economically stable and successful.
Today, I reside in Los Angeles, inspired by a deep sense of responsibility to my family and connection to my community. I live not far from where I was raised and am entering into my fifteenth year as a public educator.
The exploration of my Oaxacan roots as they intersect with my upbringing in the South Central neighborhood of Los Angeles during the 1980s is a lifelong journey.
The ties of belonging are powerful and art as an expression of the consequences of Colonialism, migration, poverty, and imagination are my life's work.
