Suzy González
Suzy González is an artist, curator, writer, and zinester based in Yanaguana, aka San Antonio, TX. She has had solo exhibits at Spellerberg Projects, Presa House Gallery, Hello Studio, Palo Alto College, and two-person exhibits at Texas A&M University Corpus Christi and the University of Connecticut. She recently completed murals with the City of Logan, UT, the City of Pasadena, TX, San Antonio Museum of Art and Centro San Antonio. She has attended residencies at Vermont Studio Center (VT), the Trelex Residency (Peru), The Wassaic Residency (NY), Starry Night Residency (NM), the Studios at MASS MoCA (MA), and Hello Studio (TX). Suzy publishes Xicana Vegan zine, co-organizes the San Anto Zine Fest, and is a part of Dos Xicanx and Breathe Collective. She is currently a Writer on the Creative Team of Veggie Mijas. She is a 2018 alum of the NALAC Leadership Institute, a 2019 alum of the Intercultural Leadership Institute and NYFA Immigrant Artist Mentoring Program, and attended a 2021 training with The Center for Artistic Activism. Suzy holds an MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design and a BFA from Texas State University.
Through Xicanx veganism, I find interest in the decolonization of diet, or a desire to reclaim the pre-colonial plant-based nourishment of my ancestors through food and herbalism. I analyze what it means to decolonize art and to embrace the lessons that the earth has to teach us. Materials relate to parts of my identity, and I recognize when they mix or resist one another. The corn husks represent the skin of the figures, recalling Mesoamerican beliefs that our very beings are created from maíz. This material use works to dismantle folk and fine art hierarchies. I call these “mestiza media” works, reclaiming the “mestizo” colonial caste label. I define mestiza media as when materials originate from the region(s) of the artist’s ancestors. Accepting mixedness is also about embracing queerness and the fluid nature of identities that reject constructed binaries. My public artwork has included themes of celebrating contemporary artists and activists, histories of the land, native plants and animals, and concepts of love and solidarity. My work serves to work through my own intersections and to strive for intercultural conversations with folks outside of my identities. This, I hope, will open doors to compassion and healing in this world of destruction.
Learn more about Suzy González’s view by purchasing the Spring 2022 MALCS issue.
Source: Suzy González
