My practice is dedicated to exploring the intersections of identity, heritage, class, and gender. My work serves as a personal exploration of these themes and acts as an extended hand to the viewer—an invitation to those often excluded from the art world to build community with me. A significant portion of my practice involves challenging the gendered coding of materials such as cars, bandanas, and hoop earrings, extending a connection to those who recognize and relate to the cultural language of these objects
I utilize iconic "hood aesthetics"—gold hoop earrings, bandanas, and car culture—to reclaim and monumentalize symbols of Latinx femininity. For example, Mirala Bien features a gold hoop transformed into a mirror vanity. This piece converts a symbol of Latina pride into a functional space for reflection, asking the viewer to pause and consider their own lineage and family journey. In Rica, I sewed a large Puerto Rican flag, created a large gold foil bandana pattern on top and used locally sourced hoop earrings to act as the fringe on the flag. Having worn hoop earrings my entire life, I view them as a profound link to my Puerto Rican culture and background, especially as I maneuver through predominantly white academic art spaces.
Car culture and street racing were foundational elements of my childhood, influenced by my father’s work as a mechanic and rotary engine fanatic. By using fiber arts—a medium traditionally passed down through feminine lineages—to explore "masculine" themes like car culture, I seek to "soften" these environments. Bandanas have historically been used in both gang and gay cultures to "flag" oneself as belonging to a specific group. My red, hand-silk-screen printed bandana car cover, created on flamboyant silky fabric, is an act of taking up space both literally and symbolically. It represents the concept of flagging and serves as a refusal to "shrink" after years of feeling forced to do so.
Through my Puerto Rican hoop earring spinner series, I further explore the intersection of queer femme Latinidad and car culture. These acrylic spinner rims feature motifs such as palm trees, the Humboldt Park Puerto Rican flag, and the word "Boricuir"—a play on the words Boricua and queer/ cuir. I exhibited this work at the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture in June, a month that celebrates both LGBTQ and Puerto Rican pride. Recently, I created a "Jeepeta" using a Power Wheels Jeep fitted with spinner rims and a custom Puerto Rican bandana design decal as a fantasy mockup for a future large-scale community artwork.
What matters most to me is making art accessible beyond the traditional gallery setting. Because of its scale my work moves into the streets and extends a hand to the public. Ultimately, my work is about pride: a loud, seductive, and multidisciplinary celebration of the Puerto Rican diaspora and the queer community.