ARTIST STATEMENT

Sometimes, a river or a mountain range will determine the boundary between people. Every so often, this borderline is only the ink of a line drawn by man. Through my artwork, I explore and respond to the constantly shifting landscape of the borderlands. Here, cultures, languages, and identities intersect, bind and conflict. Using a wide range of media, I use layers and images that symbolize the phenomena of cultural appropriation, the crossing of borders—be they cultural, economic, social, internal, or historical. I make artwork that coerces these layers and images to interrelate, coexist, and come into synthesis. Bridging differences and similarities, allows me to find meaning, and make sense of my place within this intricate and complex framework.

- Jesus De La Rosa

Self-Portrait, Mixed Media on Wood Panel, 8"x10", 2022