Tina Medina
The multi-faceted approach of Tina Medina’s work gives voice to different aspects of immigrants and multi-generational Mexican-American families in the U.S. She deconstructs symbols such as the American and Mexican flags to weave her Xicana identity. Her works range from drawings, paintings, collages, embroidery, and performance to highlight injustices to migrant families. Her artwork and advocacy demand a better and equal system that recognizes and uplifts undocumented families and people of color in the U.S.
Artist Statement
As a US-born American woman of Mexican ancestry, I embrace the theory of Xicanisma, a concept that engages and recognizes the indigenous roots of the Chicana identity. In this “Xicanciousness” I am aware that borders are imaginary, people were displaced by the invention of land ownership, and how indigenous peoples’ loss of power still affects us. In my work the lost knowledge of my indigenous ancestry and cultural traditions, as well as family history or lineage is the basis from which I proceed.
I am compelled to make art that speaks about current issues through the viewpoint of people of color in the US. Our continued struggle to exist in this country motivates me to represent those who have suffered racism, bigotry, and xenophobia. Part of the experience I portray is how we as people of color try to place ourselves within a historical context that was never meant to include us.
Many of my works contemplate the contributions of families, especially black and brown families to the cultivation of the lands, economies, and culture of the United States whose physical hard labor of the past and today continues to be overlooked as the impetus of the success of this country. Through fibers, performance, video, and audio I explore the history, identity, ancestry, and belonging.
Our past and present history influence how we perceive others as well as how we perceive ourselves. My artwork speaks about the power and the consequences of colonization and assimilation. I reflect on the loss of culture and tradition and consider the reconfiguration of creating a new sense of self for individuals who live in various cultural worlds. In my work, I explore juxtapositions of history with cultural symbols to reflect the narratives of those whose stories are left untold.
Learn more about Tina Medina at https://www.tinamedina.com/ .
