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Growing up I identified more with my Mexican heritage because it was most dominant in my day-to-day life. My Grandma would play Mexican music in her living room and pull me by the arm saying, “Mijo, come dance with me.” My Dad would cook Mexican food all of the time. The importance of being Mexican was emphasized by my family. I still remember the Christmas morning when I got my first real skateboard. It was an Adrian Lopez Pro Deck with a black and white design of the Virgin Mary. I was young, and all of my friends had skulls, cool patterns, and bright colors on their boards. I chose the iconography of Mexican Catholicism. The imagery resonated with me and was a way for me to connect with my heritage at a young age, even though I wasn’t fully aware of the significance. Now I have a stronger understanding of my cultural background because of the research I have pursued in service of my ceramics practice. Not only has the research served my practice, it has been a way to teach myself about who I am. 

My current body of work is inspired by pre-Hispanic ceramics, food, family, Mexican ideologies about death, and my own personal anxieties. Pre-Hispanic is an umbrella term that encompasses anything that happened in Latin America prior to European Colonization and it was this work, pre-Hispanic forms, that first inspired my current direction. I wanted to reach back into this part of my heritage to understand my own origins. Vessels used throughout this era convey how people lived. Both ceremonial and everyday vessels were created alongside sculptural pieces, and aspects of my work draw directly from these forms. Tripod feet are a reference to the pots that had to sit on uneven surfaces as they were eaten from. The handles I make are a nod to stirrup handle vessels that had two spouts connected by an arched handle for carrying and pouring liquid. Even my color palette, mostly black and white on a dark red clay body, is common to the era. Blending historical references with my contemporary influences allows me to create objects that represent me. 

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