Alex Velázquez: Brightbill ETHNIC BODIES
@ Epiphany Center for the Arts
201 S Ashland Ave, Chicago, IL 60607
Opening Friday, September 13th, from 6PM - 9PM
On view through Friday, November 1st
Alex Velázquez Brightbill’s ETHNIC BODIES collage series explores ideas of beauty, colonialism, and sexual identity. Alex’s starting point is an observation by the Kenyan artist Wangechi Mutu that “the female carries the marks, language, and nuances of their culture more than the male. Anything that is desired or despised is constantly placed on the female body.” So, in this series the female figures show their inner thoughts portrayed in their physical world – a grotesque woman, a cat lady, sexual innuendos, playful absurd fetishes, the physical scarring of a culture, fashion and animalistic language combined with humor. Alex explores the conflicting perceptions of Latinx women based on assumptions from history and from current affairs.
The series devotes a specific focus to the maquiladora women of Ciudad Juárez, victims of a wave of femicides in the early 2000s. These women, portrayed through a combination of pornographic imagery and archaeological artifacts, symbolize both sexual objectification and silenced voices. The collages draw parallels between their visibility as sexual beings and their invisibility as victims, reminiscent of how their remains were unearthed from the earth—masked and silenced.
Alex creates her work by piecing together magazine imagery with painted surfaces and found materials. Besides Wangechi Mutu, other sources of inspiration are the early photomontages of the German Dada artist Hannah Hoch, and Chicana queer poet, scholar, and feminist theorist Gloria Anzaldúa.
Through this series, Alex invites viewers to reconsider entrenched notions of femininity, sexuality, and cultural identity. It is a visual dialogue that challenges viewers to peel back layers of societal conditioning and see the multifaceted realities of Latinx women—both past and present. The inclusion of the mujeres de Juárez highlights the ongoing struggle against gender-based violence and the resilience of those fighting to have their voices heard.
RSVP to the opening reception at:
https://epiphanychi.com/the-opening-reception-of-alex-velazquez-brightbills-ethnic-bodies/
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Tags: Alex Velázquez, Alex Velázquez: Brightbill ETHNIC BODIES, Brightbill ETHNIC BODIES, Chicago, Epiphany Center for the Arts, near west side
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