In this era of rising xenophobia and scapegoating of immigrants for economic transitions that are shrinking the American middle class, we look back on artist Sol Aramendi’s sixteen years of socially engaged art practice in a conversation with transnational arts researcher Sara Angel Guerrero-Rippberger. From her position as an immigrant artist, Aramendi uses lived experience as the departure point for an exploration into counter-systems, building collaborative artworks around resistance and solidarity. Her projects allow her collaborators to affirm their own powerful subjectivities through the intersection of socio-economic status, language, labor, gender, sexual identity, body politics, critical pedagogy, and immigration status.
Valeria Reyes is a member of Mujeres en Movimiento, a self-organized group that explores the use of dance, art, ancestral remedies, and civic engagement to empower Latina immigrant women in Corona, Queens. This portrait of Valeria and her piñatas was created during a collaborative portraiture workshop.
Roberta Chalini is a member of Mujeres en Movimiento, a self-organized group that explores the use of dance, art, ancestral remedies, and civic engagement to empower Latina immigrant women in Corona, Queens. This portrait of Roberta and her cakes was created during a collaborative portraiture workshop. It represents her dream of making cakes for other people coming true.
Veronica Ramirez is a founder and workshop leader with Mujeres en Movimiento, a self-organized group that explores the use of dance, art, ancestral remedies, and civic engagement to empower Latina immigrant women in Corona, Queens. This portrait of Veronica at home was created during a collaborative portraiture workshop.
Claudia Yac is a member of Mujeres en Movimiento, a self-organized group that explores the use of dance, art, ancestral remedies, and civic engagement to empower Latina immigrant women in Corona, Queens. This portrait of Claudia at home with her daughter Emily was created during a collaborative portraiture workshop.
