Raíz Gallery
Co-Curated by Jeff from Palabras Bookstore and Charissa from Wasted Ink Zine Distro to produce exhibitions from up-and-coming Phoenix artists who are Black, Indigenous, People of Color and or Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, Intersex, Asexual.
Nurture House - 906 W Roosevelt St, Suite 3, Phoenix, AZ 85007
Open for First and Third Fridays, on view Wednesdays-Sundays
Co-Curated by Jeff from Palabras Bookstore and Charissa from Wasted Ink Zine Distro to produce exhibitions from up-and-coming Phoenix artists who are Black, Indigenous, People of Color and or Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, Intersex, Asexual.
Nurture House - 906 W Roosevelt St, Suite 3, Phoenix, AZ 85007
Open for First and Third Fridays, on view Wednesdays-Sundays
2023 Raíz Gallery Exhibitions
Collective Works of Se'mana Thompson - January 2023
“Collective Works of Se’mana Thompson'' explores altar work and ancestral collaging through visual representation of prayer, song and action. Birds and flowers are frequently featured in their work; relationship with birds and flowers bring about songscape (a form of prayer), dreams, life force, spiritual renewal, and survival. As a disabled artist, Se’mana is mostly located at home, in their bedroom, in a space that is their center of being; altar work surrounds them, bringing forth ceremony, ancestral veneration, identity and remembrance. A form of resistance and liberation, their collage is a collective prayer for everything that is living and passed; it is grieving, it is death, it is acknowledging what is present and it is strategy to continue to breathe life into that which appears wilted and tired. Se’mana’s work also focuses on Black Indigenous peoples and the disproportionate level of incarceration that specifically affects their sons’ livelihood. In these works, incorporation of flowers, statistics and imagery of Black Indigenous peoples is a dedication to their sons, who they were and what they’ve overcome, a representation of themselves to carry on into the future.
Se’mana Thompson (they/them) is a self-taught Indigenous (Akimel Otham/Hopi/Diné) artist & poet located in a small village on the Gila River Indian Community. They started drawing with pen & marker in 2016 and began collage work in 2020 as a result of an art therapy group on the rez. Se’mana’s work is informed by their Akimel O’Otham and Hopi upbringing as well as their identity as a disabled auDHD queer person. They are the creator and editor of the zine Decolonizing Parenting and the founder/curator/librarian of The People’s Zine Library, a free tiny lending library of 150 zines & books by and for Black, Indigenous, & people of color.
IG: @mx_semee
The People’s Zine Library: thepeopleszinelibrary.squarespace.com
“Collective Works of Se’mana Thompson'' explores altar work and ancestral collaging through visual representation of prayer, song and action. Birds and flowers are frequently featured in their work; relationship with birds and flowers bring about songscape (a form of prayer), dreams, life force, spiritual renewal, and survival. As a disabled artist, Se’mana is mostly located at home, in their bedroom, in a space that is their center of being; altar work surrounds them, bringing forth ceremony, ancestral veneration, identity and remembrance. A form of resistance and liberation, their collage is a collective prayer for everything that is living and passed; it is grieving, it is death, it is acknowledging what is present and it is strategy to continue to breathe life into that which appears wilted and tired. Se’mana’s work also focuses on Black Indigenous peoples and the disproportionate level of incarceration that specifically affects their sons’ livelihood. In these works, incorporation of flowers, statistics and imagery of Black Indigenous peoples is a dedication to their sons, who they were and what they’ve overcome, a representation of themselves to carry on into the future.
Se’mana Thompson (they/them) is a self-taught Indigenous (Akimel Otham/Hopi/Diné) artist & poet located in a small village on the Gila River Indian Community. They started drawing with pen & marker in 2016 and began collage work in 2020 as a result of an art therapy group on the rez. Se’mana’s work is informed by their Akimel O’Otham and Hopi upbringing as well as their identity as a disabled auDHD queer person. They are the creator and editor of the zine Decolonizing Parenting and the founder/curator/librarian of The People’s Zine Library, a free tiny lending library of 150 zines & books by and for Black, Indigenous, & people of color.
IG: @mx_semee
The People’s Zine Library: thepeopleszinelibrary.squarespace.com
2022 Raíz Gallery Exhibitions
Iterations, Andrea Pro - December 2022
Andrea Pro, also known by her signature, 4.Pro. is a Chicana painter, illustrator and designer from the border town of Douglas, Arizona.
Her work is characterized by vibrant colors as well as unique compositions and addresses themes of cultural identity, spirituality, and femininity.
Andrea Pro, also known by her signature, 4.Pro. is a Chicana painter, illustrator and designer from the border town of Douglas, Arizona.
Her work is characterized by vibrant colors as well as unique compositions and addresses themes of cultural identity, spirituality, and femininity.
The Color Frontier, CeLyn Evens - November 2022
"Hello, My name is CeLyn Evens and I am an artist with the dream of coloring the world. I have learned various art practices, such as drawing and painting, digital art, and other visual media. I will continue to share and grow my art as I continue to grow myself."
IG: @7hero2
"Hello, My name is CeLyn Evens and I am an artist with the dream of coloring the world. I have learned various art practices, such as drawing and painting, digital art, and other visual media. I will continue to share and grow my art as I continue to grow myself."
IG: @7hero2
Desert Reverie, Olivia Yuen - October 2022
'Desert Reverie' features collages originating from linocut misprints. By combining and reinterpreting the imagery in each print collage, new meaning is created from each composition. The collection also showcases original linocut printed works on paper that reflect the techniques involved in the craft.
Olivia Yuen is a Phoenix-based artist, primarily creating block prints inspired by a variety of subject matter including botany, the Arizona desert, and her biracial heritage. In addition to her creative practice, Olivia is a middle school art teacher. Sharing her passion for the arts with others plays a significant role, and Olivia teaches linocut printmaking workshops locally in Phoenix. You can find her work available online via her website or locally at various markets and art retail locations across the valley. @livmakesprints
'Desert Reverie' features collages originating from linocut misprints. By combining and reinterpreting the imagery in each print collage, new meaning is created from each composition. The collection also showcases original linocut printed works on paper that reflect the techniques involved in the craft.
Olivia Yuen is a Phoenix-based artist, primarily creating block prints inspired by a variety of subject matter including botany, the Arizona desert, and her biracial heritage. In addition to her creative practice, Olivia is a middle school art teacher. Sharing her passion for the arts with others plays a significant role, and Olivia teaches linocut printmaking workshops locally in Phoenix. You can find her work available online via her website or locally at various markets and art retail locations across the valley. @livmakesprints
Celestial Bound, Alex Moreno - September 2022
"We’ve all had thoughts of leaving this planet, probably now more than ever. What you will see today is the journey in which to find a whole new planet to inhabit. This journey may have the discovery it’s seeking, or it may continue indefinitely.
I’m a multimedia artist that is also currently studying graphic design. I’m born and raised in Phoenix, AZ so when I finally came across the zine and art community, I knew I wanted to do all I could to be a part of it. This show is my first and surely not my last." - Alex Moreno IG: @@a.lex.art
"We’ve all had thoughts of leaving this planet, probably now more than ever. What you will see today is the journey in which to find a whole new planet to inhabit. This journey may have the discovery it’s seeking, or it may continue indefinitely.
I’m a multimedia artist that is also currently studying graphic design. I’m born and raised in Phoenix, AZ so when I finally came across the zine and art community, I knew I wanted to do all I could to be a part of it. This show is my first and surely not my last." - Alex Moreno IG: @@a.lex.art
Desert Dwellers Show, Phx Zine Fest - July 2022
Desert Dwellers is a fundraiser art show for the Phx Zine Fest showcasing original artworks by 10 Arizona zine makers Damon Begay, Kayla Shaggy, Amber McCrary, Sher Wicche, Hannah Walshe, Rebecca Fish Ewan, Alexandria Moreno, Moon Gordy, Shelby Rinke, and Anonymous. All proceeds from the artwork goes to support the Phx Zine Fest coming to The Nile Theater September 17 & 18, 2022.
phxzinefest.org
Desert Dwellers is a fundraiser art show for the Phx Zine Fest showcasing original artworks by 10 Arizona zine makers Damon Begay, Kayla Shaggy, Amber McCrary, Sher Wicche, Hannah Walshe, Rebecca Fish Ewan, Alexandria Moreno, Moon Gordy, Shelby Rinke, and Anonymous. All proceeds from the artwork goes to support the Phx Zine Fest coming to The Nile Theater September 17 & 18, 2022.
phxzinefest.org
Botanical Press, Frances Garcia - June 2022
Currently based in Phoenix, Frances Garcia is a creative reuse designer and artist from Chicago. She received her BFA at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, during which time she founded GreenHouse Studio. Inspiration for her work stems from the natural and botanical world and thus a passion for sustainability. GreenHouse Studio is a culmination of object design, responsible production practices, and botanical aesthetics. Through the Studio Frances also hosts DIY crafting workshops to educate and artistically empower the public.
The collection at Raíz Gallery features botanical collages and hand-embroidery foliage. The focus of this collection is to appreciate and highlight the beauty of the shapes, colors, textures, and diversity found in plants, while also pushing the physical limitations of plants as an artistic medium.
Currently based in Phoenix, Frances Garcia is a creative reuse designer and artist from Chicago. She received her BFA at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, during which time she founded GreenHouse Studio. Inspiration for her work stems from the natural and botanical world and thus a passion for sustainability. GreenHouse Studio is a culmination of object design, responsible production practices, and botanical aesthetics. Through the Studio Frances also hosts DIY crafting workshops to educate and artistically empower the public.
The collection at Raíz Gallery features botanical collages and hand-embroidery foliage. The focus of this collection is to appreciate and highlight the beauty of the shapes, colors, textures, and diversity found in plants, while also pushing the physical limitations of plants as an artistic medium.
Beneath the Surface, Analissia Gonzalez - May 2022
Analissia Gonzalez is a queer and nonbinary multimedia artist born and raised in the heart of Phoenix, Arizona. After leaving school at the age of 16, Analissia devoted all of their time and energy to becoming the one thing they always wanted to be: an artist.
With influences from artists like Yoshitomo Nara, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Yayoi Kusama, their work uses bright colors, patterns and strong imagery to explore the depths of the queer experience. artbyannalissia.storenvy.com
Analissia Gonzalez is a queer and nonbinary multimedia artist born and raised in the heart of Phoenix, Arizona. After leaving school at the age of 16, Analissia devoted all of their time and energy to becoming the one thing they always wanted to be: an artist.
With influences from artists like Yoshitomo Nara, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Yayoi Kusama, their work uses bright colors, patterns and strong imagery to explore the depths of the queer experience. artbyannalissia.storenvy.com
The Uncertainty of Higher Education, Gloria Martinez-Granados - April 2022
The Uncertainty of Higher Education is an installation composed of personal printed school ID cards. Suspended memories symbolic of the numerous barriers faced by undocumented students. One of these challenges being Proposition 300, voted in 2006, denying in state tuition for undocumented students regardless of attending the public school system in the state of Arizona. This action created higher tuition fees, inaccessibility to governments grants, financial aid and scholarships. I personally experienced a tuition fee hike in 2018 when the Arizona Board of Regents extended the 150% in state tuition fee to DACA students in Colleges and Universities.
In the state of Arizona 2,000 undocumented students graduate high school each year. Now, without the option to apply for DACA their opportunities in pursuing higher education have increased challenges. In 2022 Arizona voters will have the ability to decide on Senate Resolution 1044 and have the opportunity to create a more equitable future to access higher education.
www.borderlesscreative.com
The Uncertainty of Higher Education is an installation composed of personal printed school ID cards. Suspended memories symbolic of the numerous barriers faced by undocumented students. One of these challenges being Proposition 300, voted in 2006, denying in state tuition for undocumented students regardless of attending the public school system in the state of Arizona. This action created higher tuition fees, inaccessibility to governments grants, financial aid and scholarships. I personally experienced a tuition fee hike in 2018 when the Arizona Board of Regents extended the 150% in state tuition fee to DACA students in Colleges and Universities.
In the state of Arizona 2,000 undocumented students graduate high school each year. Now, without the option to apply for DACA their opportunities in pursuing higher education have increased challenges. In 2022 Arizona voters will have the ability to decide on Senate Resolution 1044 and have the opportunity to create a more equitable future to access higher education.
www.borderlesscreative.com
Terra Firma, Kat Davis - March 2022
Kat Davis earned their BFA in Photography from Arizona State University in 2017. She is currently a guest editor at Lenscratch Magazine and formerly president of eye lounge. Davis uses the mediums of photography and collage to explore presentation and performance of individual identity and its relation to social, historical, and political boundaries. Their images have been exhibited nationally at Specto Art Space, eye lounge, Northlight Gallery, and have been published in Cumulus Photo, Soft Lightning, and OURS Photo Mag, among others. Katdavis.art
Kat Davis earned their BFA in Photography from Arizona State University in 2017. She is currently a guest editor at Lenscratch Magazine and formerly president of eye lounge. Davis uses the mediums of photography and collage to explore presentation and performance of individual identity and its relation to social, historical, and political boundaries. Their images have been exhibited nationally at Specto Art Space, eye lounge, Northlight Gallery, and have been published in Cumulus Photo, Soft Lightning, and OURS Photo Mag, among others. Katdavis.art
Ancestral Dreams, Junior Toltecatl - February 2022
Junior Toltecatl is an indigenous artist from Phoenix with a oeuvre focusing on native stories, culture, and ancient symbols. His works are a reflection of the resilience and brilliance of indigenous peoples. Toltecatl is a self-taught artist whose interest in the arts was first nurtured through graffiti and muralism. His art still maintains a strong urban influence that has evolved to incorporate storytelling and spirituality. Rooted in every piece is a story that represents his heritage.
Junior Toltecatl is an indigenous artist from Phoenix with a oeuvre focusing on native stories, culture, and ancient symbols. His works are a reflection of the resilience and brilliance of indigenous peoples. Toltecatl is a self-taught artist whose interest in the arts was first nurtured through graffiti and muralism. His art still maintains a strong urban influence that has evolved to incorporate storytelling and spirituality. Rooted in every piece is a story that represents his heritage.
Goblin Dreamhouse, Auberi Zwickel - January 2022
Auberi Zwickel is a visual artist and printer currently living and working in Phoenix, AZ and pursuing their MFA in drawing at ASU. They are passionate about drawing as a personal language and spiritual practice, and explore both in their pen and ink work. Their graduate work weaves together research on cemeteries and sacred spaces, outsider architecture, queer ecology, the carnival and the afterlife into dense images that commemorate loss, change and transformation. The works on display here span the last three and half years of their practice. auberizwickel.bigcartel.com
Auberi Zwickel is a visual artist and printer currently living and working in Phoenix, AZ and pursuing their MFA in drawing at ASU. They are passionate about drawing as a personal language and spiritual practice, and explore both in their pen and ink work. Their graduate work weaves together research on cemeteries and sacred spaces, outsider architecture, queer ecology, the carnival and the afterlife into dense images that commemorate loss, change and transformation. The works on display here span the last three and half years of their practice. auberizwickel.bigcartel.com
2021 Raíz Gallery Exhibitions
Need Change, Mary Hope Lee - December 2021
Mary Hope Lee is a valued community member and talented artist of many mediums. Her exhibition focuses on our homelessness epidemic, which she is also currently facing the possibility of as her rent has become unaffordable and the waiting lists for senior living are so long.
Mary Hope Lee is a valued community member and talented artist of many mediums. Her exhibition focuses on our homelessness epidemic, which she is also currently facing the possibility of as her rent has become unaffordable and the waiting lists for senior living are so long.
Neon Navajo, Ryan Allison - November 2021
Ryan Allison is a Diné artist, designer, and musician from Fort Defiance, Arizona. He is currently a Graphic Design student at Arizona State University. With influences from 60's and 70's album art and western culture, he seeks to illustrate Navajo lifestyle, values, philosophy, and perspective combining traditional art with collage, airbrush, and digital mediums.
fmryanart.com
Ryan Allison is a Diné artist, designer, and musician from Fort Defiance, Arizona. He is currently a Graphic Design student at Arizona State University. With influences from 60's and 70's album art and western culture, he seeks to illustrate Navajo lifestyle, values, philosophy, and perspective combining traditional art with collage, airbrush, and digital mediums.
fmryanart.com
Spaces Between, Shela Yu - October 2021
Shela Yu is a queer, Chinese American, muralist and painter born and raised in Mesa, Arizona. Currently residing in Phoenix, her work continues to evolve as she deepens her creative practice and expands her repertoire into visionary abstraction. Her public work centralizes around the celebration of women and youth to uplift marginalized voices.
www.shellshaker.shop
Shela Yu is a queer, Chinese American, muralist and painter born and raised in Mesa, Arizona. Currently residing in Phoenix, her work continues to evolve as she deepens her creative practice and expands her repertoire into visionary abstraction. Her public work centralizes around the celebration of women and youth to uplift marginalized voices.
www.shellshaker.shop
Mascara Series, Edgar Fernandez - September 2021
Edgar 8ahau Fernandez was born in Los Angeles, California in 1990. In 2000 his family moved to Phoenix, Arizona where Edgar connected to his Xicano identity and his passion for creating modern ancestral art. It was through collaborating with his community that sparked his motivation to choose to be a professional artist. Fernandez completed his BFA in painting at ASU in Spring 2019. Since 2013, he has accomplished public recognition in Arizona through solo exhibitions, group shows, awards, mural projects. Currently Fernandez works on his craft by developing bodies of work that are connected to his personal journey. Edgar's focus is to embrace his ancestral spirit that flows through his heart and to express it in his artwork. www.8ahau.com
Edgar 8ahau Fernandez was born in Los Angeles, California in 1990. In 2000 his family moved to Phoenix, Arizona where Edgar connected to his Xicano identity and his passion for creating modern ancestral art. It was through collaborating with his community that sparked his motivation to choose to be a professional artist. Fernandez completed his BFA in painting at ASU in Spring 2019. Since 2013, he has accomplished public recognition in Arizona through solo exhibitions, group shows, awards, mural projects. Currently Fernandez works on his craft by developing bodies of work that are connected to his personal journey. Edgar's focus is to embrace his ancestral spirit that flows through his heart and to express it in his artwork. www.8ahau.com
From The Ground Up, Nurture House Artists - August 2021
An exhibition of the Nurture House space & squad + community imaginings on our wonder wall, a space to share ideas. Artists featured: Amber McCrary, Charissa Lucille, Chawa Magaña, Eileen Payan, and Denise Dominguez.
An exhibition of the Nurture House space & squad + community imaginings on our wonder wall, a space to share ideas. Artists featured: Amber McCrary, Charissa Lucille, Chawa Magaña, Eileen Payan, and Denise Dominguez.