- R.A. Ruiz Acosta
18 Latina Artists That Reflect the Times with a Spirit of Resistencia
When I first saw the above Emilia Cruz painting, it had been having a particularly stressful day. I was mindlessly scrolling Instagram, when I saw this image I felt instantly soothed. I thought it was a bit strange because it was on the small screen of my phone- but I felt a sense of calm in my anxious heart- like taking a long, deep breath of cool air. What magic was this? The colors, the nopals, the almost tactile brushstrokes, the calm expressions of healing and ancient practice, but most of all, it was clear:
the power of sisterhood.
Nina Simone famously said,
"An artists duty, as far as I'm concerned, is to reflect the times."
We live in the time of Trump, tiki-torch nazis, Brock Turner, and other terrors. If artists of our time are responsible for reflecting this era, it is my opinion that the following reflect the spirit of resistencia and solidarity that propels and inspires us to fight on. The reflection of our culture and our people from a woman's hands in and of itself is an act of resistance when latinx and women's lives are underminded and under attack. If Trump can embolden white supremacists- we empower each other, and in solidarity can overcome any obstacle.
This list is far from complete. This is just a taste of all the wonderful, inspiring latina and WOC artists out there. The story of latina artists doesn't begin with Frida and end with Valfre. We have so much talent and passion living and breathing and creating within our communities, and it is my passion to spotlight mis hermanitas as often as I can. I will continue to build this list and others to do so. Please click the names of each other to view their Instagrams.
