13 Latinx Artists Creating Impact Within Their Culture
"It's about honoring all of the Latinx artists before me that paved the way."—Gabriel García Román
BuzzFeed asked the following artists what it means to be a Latinx artist in today's society and how their work impacts them personally. Here are their respective responses.
1. Destiny Mata, Photographer
Mata, who is a native New Yorker, said that for her, photography has always been in her blood: "I come from a family of photographers, including mi abuelo (grandpa) Luis Mata, who focused on weddings, and mi tia (aunt) Chayo Mata, who shot all things fashion."
"In a sense, the camera has been an outlet for our creativity and our values — used to voice societal resistance and preservation of our cultural heritage."
"I've continued this artistic tradition by documenting life as a native New Yorker in NYC, where I live now, and as a tejana in San Antonio, Texas, where I spent my summers with my family growing up."
Destiny said that it has been therapeutic to look at the stories and photos she has taken, "helping to heal personal traumatic experiences and highlighting the resilience of the human spirit."
She spoke about her recent work, saying, "My work has focused on tenants in NYC public housing, people taking a stand against injustices in our society and communities of unique music subcultures; I believe there is incredible power and strength when we collectively collaborate with one another to make change for a better future."
2. Domsquiat, Photographer
When asked what it means to be Latinx, Domsquiat said it's empowering "and gives me hope for the next generation of photographers."
Domsquiat continued, "Coming from an immigrant family where being an artist is not encouraged, I strive to recreate visible representations and role models through photography."
"Breaking family tradition is scary, but my art is deep-rooted in Latin American culture, symbolism, and history. So I never lose sight of where I come from."
3. Gabriel García Román, Artist
For Gabriel, it's about breaking boundaries "and honoring those that came before you."
Gabriel believes that "the art world is finally taking notice of Latinx artists and our visibility is being heightened across galleries and museums."
"It's about honoring all of the Latinx artists before me that paved the way."
When asked how his work personally impacts him, Gabriel said, "My work has given me a platform to connect with community and to amplify our collective voices."
"It's opened the doors to institutions I never dreamed of entering. It's made my world a lot bigger."
4. Smurfoudirtynyc, Artist
When asked about his views, work, and being Latinx, he said, "For myself, being of Hispanic descent has always had a big impact on my life as an artist and New Yorker."
As the years go by, his culture is more important and significant to him. "It’s especially special that it’s through my mother's side. I enjoy being a proud man of color and Latino."
"My work is consuming me and it feels absolutely amazing. I’m thoroughly addicted to creating, drawing, thinking, and birthing."
"My work used to get old to me, but I’ve passed a threshold where now I have to draw even if I’m on the toilet. I’m consumed and content.”
5. Adriana Parrilla, Photographer
She feels she has a responsibility to break negative assumptions and "stereotyped visual representations of the Latinx community."
"I want my photographic work to serve as a tool with which our community can create a space for dialogue where they can feel proud of our identity."
"It has impacted me positively because it allowed me to seek a more in-depth understanding of Blackness in the Latinx sociocultural and political context."
She wraps up by adding, "And it has also made me recognize and accept my own racial identity."
6. Christian Rodriguez, Photographer
Between both the Dominican Republic and NYC, Christian said, "In a sense, it was a bubble of Caribbean, Central, and South American immigrants."
"We were all existing between these lines of whiteness and trying to sort ourselves out and where we fit among our society."
When Christian left NYC for school, he said he realized the responsibility he has, stating, "Everything about my people, about all of us, became so technicolor. My family, the way they danced, walked, spoke all of a sudden became my obsession. My surroundings at school felt dull. There was no merengue. Everything was about white photographers and their accomplishments."
"I'm thankful because it opened my eyes to the responsibility I was given. For me, being a Latinx artist today is about the representation of us, our color, and our light."
He concluded by saying, "Against all odds, we shine. And with my camera and eye, I aim to capture it for others to see. My work has made me feel closer to my family and to the community around us. It's opened me up to loving even the difficult parts of my existence." Christian currently has a piece featured in the New York Times, which can be found here.
7. Laura, Photographer
For Laura, it's all about centering her work "around the preservation of your respective culture (in whichever aspect connects you the most) while continuously battling notions that have been tainting our stories."
"It means that while we have the creative liberty to express our own narratives as we wish, we also hold the responsibility to alter stereotypes and misconceptions, and promote progressive ideologies such as the active inclusivity of Black and LGBTQ communities."
"Latinx artists today have SO much power to inspire and transcend the minds of the conservative thinkers in our communities fearful of the changes we deserve, but most importantly, the minds of the generations to come."
When it comes to how her work impacts her, she said it has allowed her to have a deeper connection "with other Latinx women who resonate with my personal narrative and want to also move past what is traditionally expected of us."
"It has also helped me create special bonds with other immigrants who understand what impacts our displacements have had on the development of our individual and collective narratives. My heart melts whenever someone expresses how my images of my homeland Dominican Republic heals the disconnect they have had with their Dominican heritage. That is what has motivated me the most lately."
8. Joalis, Artist
For Joalis, it's about occupying spaces where "uncertainty is certain and navigating our marginalization and privilege is an extreme sport."
Joalis often references Nina Simone's quote that “an artist’s duty is to reflect the times,” saying, "I almost always use my art to do just that."
"Whether it be for the celebration of our people and colors, or the painful truths that impale our communities, it needs to be told."
On how it has impacted her, she said, "It’s changed me because I no longer seek validation from spaces devoid of us. I can now create said space and just exist in it. And our sheer existence is resistance."
9. Josh Pacheco, Photographer

For Josh Pacheco, he said there is a lot of complexity in calling himself a Latinx artist. Although he holds pride in his Latinx identity, "there’s also a lot of mystery in that I barely know the Latinx side of my family. So, I sometimes question myself if that pride is misplaced. Often, I’m asked to prove my ancestry or defend my art, but this is the first time I’m questioned about how these identities as a whole coexist. I’m not a Latinx artist; I’m a white Latinx artist. So I think critically of my place in society as a Latinx artist that benefits from whiteness. The intersectionality of my Latinx identity and my artistry, whether that artistry be my photography, dance/choreography, or painting, is not one specific point on a line, but rather a threshold."
"Nor is my nuance so easily boxed without inflicting harm on a Brown/Black Latinx artist's identity."
Josh went on to say that he struggled with the construct of "Latinx artist identity in a US context of race. And I grapple to find spaces that allow me to be accountable to my nuance and present my work. There are few platforms, if any, that wish to honor myself and my work, and then also compensate me as an artist for the artwork I do. Too often am I presented with opportunities that would allow me to occupy a space that is designed for but not afforded to my Brown/Black Latinx counterparts."
Josh concluded, "In the past, I had often sought social justice before racial justice and had not understood that those two things are one and the same."
"I put reflection into practice because, to be transparent, I make art to impact others and not myself. And I’m impacted by how my art is received by my audience. I inform my craft with accountable, responsive, and transformative actions that seek to honor my heritage without exploiting it. My work must have the capacity to be built up and torn down as I continue to learn more about my lineage and unpack the parts of myself I’ve yet to discover."
10. Jadie Meprivert, Artist
"I’m a Dominican Haitian artist based in NYC. I live in the Bronx, but when I first came here, my first home was in the Heights. As a child, I had to assimilate to the culture and the environment around me, but it was always comforting to know that my people were around me and that I did not have to go too far to find ways to reconnect to my roots."
Jadie feels she has a big responsibility in both keeping the heritage alive and finding new ways to “re-represent ourselves as we break down stereotypes and the very precepts and/or concepts that sought to keep us down."
"As an Afro Latina, my very existence represents a reconciliation between two countries that don’t have the best of racial relationships. Therefore, it is important to me that the youth, an audience that doesn’t understand, or other people looking from the outside in see and experience what that reconciliation looks like in a person. I use my platform, my talents, and my gifts so that it can start spreading and potentially healing others from any chains that might be holding them back from accepting who they are. It is my hope that my work inspires others to change and start pursuing their dreams. My dream is to be part of the driving force that puts the arts back on demand for all types of artists!"
"In retrospect, my work focuses on the conceptualization of prophetic dreams. My paintings employ imagery, symbolism, and concepts related to the divine, to instinct, to human nature, and to what is seen and felt. "
She has heard “your gift will make room for you” and feels that her work has given her the privilege of making human connections she never thought would be possible. Jadie went on to say, “As I have had the privilege to present my works in galleries, sing at the Apollo, and host an open mic at my church, I am so grateful for the ways that my life has been enriched by the very people I get to talk to and meet. Because of the grace and favor I’ve been given, I am constantly running to connect to people, get other people connected to potential opportunities, and keep teaching everything that I know for free (guitar, dance, art, and vocal lessons) as a way to respond with love to others who lack the very opportunities I’ve been blessed with.”
Jadie (along with five other artists) is currently part of a residency program with Bronx Art Space at Governors Island, from Sept. 31 to Oct. 31, where she is working on a documentary called ”Dreams of Faith.” To find out more, please check out her Instagram here.
11. Angely, Designer and Owner of Diaspora New York
Angely said, "Being from the Dominican Republic and immigrating to the US at an early age has given me insight and perspective from different cultural standpoints. To be a Latinx in today's society is to be split between two lands and connect with two countries."
She said it's about speaking differently at work versus at home. "It's to wake up each day knowing that you have to work twice as hard, not only for yourself but also for your mother, your father, your sister, and your family's sacrifices."
Angely went on to say that "to be a Latinx artist in today's society is a beautiful thing. It's incredible to be able to express yourself through your art, creating something tangible that others can relate to and identify with. One of the art forms I choose to express myself with is fashion. I love creating designs that highlight and empower our African roots. Our African roots have been suppressed for so long in the Dominican Republic and in America."
For Angely, her inspiration to create her brand Diaspora New York comes from being a Latina from the African Diaspora.
She wrapped up telling BuzzFeed her highlights and message for her brand, stating, "Diaspora is a brand that works toward bridging the gap between our African identity, culture, and our modern style. Normalizing the wear of African textiles and creating a fresh, new story that highlights how proud we are of our African ancestry."
12. Diego Campos, Photographer
Diego explained that it can be complex not always knowing how to define himself: "Struggling to define my Mexican identity in the US. Learning to love my brown skin."
"Living in different worlds while dealing with colorism all at the same time. A relentlessness to fight and make my voice loud and clear. Several moments of weakness and several moments of empowerment. Being a Latinx artist is all of those things and more."
"More specifically, being a Latinx photographer in the world of fashion feels invisible. It means expressing myself in a white world of fashion that glorifies white skin. It means working hard to hear myself amid the noise of whiteness."
Diego felt that healing and reflecting (through his work) have resulted in him evolving as a person and spirit, thanking those that came before him and the world around him. He added, "I owe it to the world before us."
He continued, "For Black people fighting for civil rights to achieve basic human rights (and still a continuing struggle), for all the people of color that came before me, and for my parents and their courage to begin anew in the US. All of this led to me to express myself more freely. So that I could heal, reflect, and evolve as a person and spirit. And I have the obligation as an artist to now choose how that world looks like moving forward more than ever."
13. Rebeca Soto, Artist

Rebeca said it's about creating experiences that are joyful, while breaking traditions that are toxic.
She added, "Especially being a Latina in the US — our cultural traditions and expectations are growing in completely new ways."
"As Latinx creatives, we live in between so many identities, never fitting into a perfect box. I am too vulgar, too prude. Too American, too 'ethnic'. I want my art to capture and CELEBRATE the endless diverse identities, bodies, beings, and pleasures (big and small)."
She said utilizing her art to "normalize sex, pleasure, and the empowerment of brown womxn is [her] way of paving new Latinx traditions." She continued, "I feel like I have a responsibility to continue a culture of storytelling."
"However, instead of words, I use sensual paintings to share my truth — a truth that has historically been silenced in our culture. That passion for pushing bounds paired with a commitment to hard work makes me feel proud to share my story and art as a Queer-Femme Latina." She concluded, "Art and creativity gives us the opportunity to lean into curiosity of the unknown to create big change. My art takes the cultural norm of shame and flips the narrative to show the joyful experience of BIPOC pleasure and love."
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