Since I was young, I’ve been fascinated by pop culture—its fashion, music, media, entertainment, and ever-shifting trends. These elements shaped how I saw the world and became central to how I express myself as an artist. They continue to influence my work, not just aesthetically, but conceptually—offering a lens through which I explore identity, community, and self-invention. My art is deeply rooted in the Chicano culture I grew up in. There’s a specific rhythm and richness to being Chicano that often gets overlooked in contemporary art, where it’s frequently lumped under the broader label of “Latino” art. But being Chicano means something different—it means existing in-between worlds. My work reflects the tension and beauty of being both Mexican and American, where you’re constantly negotiating how to be enough of each without losing either. This duality is something many first-generation Mexican Americans, especially those who are queer, know intimately. As a queer Chicano artist, my work is also about visibility and resilience. It’s about holding space for those of us who live at the intersections—where our queerness, our brownness, and our cultural pride coexist and sometimes clash. I create portraits and symbolic imagery that reclaim identity, celebrate self-expression, and question the norms that often leave queer people of color out of the narrative. By blending traditional iconography, myth, street culture, and pop references, I aim to challenge stereotypes and elevate queer Chicano voices. I believe art is for everyone. It’s a tool of empowerment—especially for young people who are still trying to find where they belong. Through creativity, we not only express who we are, but who we’re becoming. In that way, my art is both personal and political: a way to survive, to remember, and to imagine something freer.