No Soy De Aquí, Ni Soy De Allá
Gabriela Flores Vargas
ARTIST STATEMENT
In No Soy de Aquí, Ni Soy de Allá (I’m not from here, nor from there), the work discusses the emotions,
experiences, and tragedies that have occured in my personal life. I do not just delve into my own personal
journey, but also the journeys of my ancestors who sacrificed their own lives for the future. The mediums I
use for this exhibition consist of digital paintings, 3D photogrammetry/sculptures, and audio editing. The
usage of these mediums stemmed from my personal journey with relation to accessibility and resources.
In response to my maternal grandfather’s backstory and dreams of being a cartoonist, following in these
footsteps further contribute to my will to break cycles of recurring generational tendencies and desire to
fulfill prophecies, comes from being the eldest sibling. Through my interpersonal experiences, I want to
fulfill my overarching expectations and use art as a creative expression. Pursuing this path for a career
has motivated me to rebel and be a part of something that inspires not just myself, but others to do what
you love regardless of what anyone thinks, even if it's your own blood.
From my viewpoint, this derives from the idea
of decolonization from religion and heritage, which is the basis in which describes the ideologies within my
subject. I have researched, read, and interviewed many individuals during my academic career all leading up
to this very moment in which I give myself a pat on the back for. I’ve dedicated most of my academic career
to my family, and I believe it will also inspire others to devote their passions in the same manner.
In terms of how long this project will be documented, I reckon it will take up my whole lifespan. I hope
that in the future, I can take a look back at this project and either criticize my way of thinking or rather
continue where I left off. An important lesson I’ve learned as I’ve made my way to this point is that it’s
entirely okay to review past actions and become a better family-member, a better artist, and a better
human-being.
ARTIST BIO
Indigenous-Mexican-American artist, Gabriela Flores Vargas (2000-) represents the epitome of culture, family, and personal values in her work. Growing up in a Mexican-Indigenous household in the Bay Area, she faced the dazed confusion of decolonization, generational trauma, racism, and its effects on her ancestry as a whole.Her work dignifies her indigenous roots by illustrating emotion, passion, grit, and determination. Vargas’ primary mediums consist of traditional painting, digital art, multimedia-art and video-editing. Based on these mediums, she takes the initiative by remixing traditional art-making with digital pieces as a way of reclaiming the many art forms in a meaningful manner.
