Pelo y Pana by Pita Diaz-Rodriguez
| Availability: | In stock (1) |
Details:
- digital illustration, unframed print on phototext
- size: 20" x 20"
- available after the close + deinstallation of exhibit (mid-May 2025)
Major: Illustration, 2028
Artist Statement:
Pita Diaz-Rodriguez is a Non-binary Venezuelan-American artist whose work often covers themes regarding the queer-Hispanic identity, the feminine experience, and childhood. Growing up, they experienced the joy and beauty of having so many women in the family. As a feminine presenting person, seeing women do anything they wanted shaped how they saw themselves and how they saw other women. It inspired their need to not only create art following these themes but to also create art in any way they wanted to, from painting to creative writing to digital art.
The piece is called “Pelo y Pana” which translates to “Hair and Friends”, Pana being Venezuelan slang/term of endearment for friends. This piece depicts a common feminine experience that brings joy, community and fun. The relationship between women and their hair is a special bond that we all connect with in some way so I wanted to capture that special moment. Especially hispanic/afro-latina women since the way we wear our hair is interconnected with our culture. Hispanic women are not a monolith. We can look and sound very different from each other. There is no “hispanic” look, because we can be anything. Metaphorically and literally.