<i>Rosa<i>

Rosa

Oil on canvas, 2019

Honorable Mention: $100

Arely Morales Roberts

Nacogdoches, TX

My work focuses on issues of identity, humanity and invisibility of the Latino immigrant community in the United States. This interest has a strong connection to my personal life experiences of being an immigrant myself. Born in Mexico, I moved to the United States at age 14 and went through the experience of merging into a new culture. Many times I felt displaced, invisible, and even faced discrimination in my school. I became part of a minority that in today’s political climate is targeted with negativity. In my work, I am interested in exploring these issues and the vulnerabilities that take place within this group. I share with the viewer aspects of our lives that make us human and that often remain unseen. I seek to bring light to these issues, and to create a clarity that makes my subjects feel visible and present as they exist.