ABOUT XAVA

I am a mixed media artist pursuing a degree in Art History and Studio Art with a concentration in Museum Studies. My work takes an introspective approach to expressing identity through the combination of two-dimensional and three-dimensional media in sculptural self-portrait paintings. I invite you to explore both my work and creative process.

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As a first-generation Latina, my identity has often existed in limbo, not fully Mexican and not fully American, “neither here nor there, but a space in between.” In seeking guidance, I turned to visual media, only to discover a lack of representation of people I identified with. Because of this absence, I turned to the only representation I had: myself. Coming from a culture where vulnerability and visibility are often shunned, my body of work serves as a powerful reclamation of identity and feminine strength.

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I have exhibited my mixed media triptych, Fragmenta. Papilliones. Legatum., at San Francisco State University’s Fine Arts Gallery for the Annual Stillwell Exhibition, where its public resonance earned me an extended display contract at the university’s administrative offices through 2027. Additionally, two of my pieces, Fruits of Labor and Scarlet Nights, were exhibited at the Martin Wong Gallery in the group exhibition Vulnerability Is a Scarlet Red.

 

If you would like to support my work, available pieces can be purchased through Xavaethetics by Xava, my online shop. I also accept commissioned work via email inquiry.