Hija/e/o/x(s) de Su–
July 11- Aug 25, 2023
The Hija/e/o/x(s) de Su– art exhibition and the 16añera/e/o/x Block Party was curated by Cesar Piedra and Geovany Uranda as the second exhibition in part of the 2023 Curator Series.
More photos on our Flickr / 16añera/e/o/x Block Party photos here.
Hija/e/o/x(s) de Su– unites the latina/e/o/x communities of Reno and Las Vegas, Nevada. The title of the exhibition references “hija/o de tu madre,” a phrase that carries both positive and negative connotations expressed by authority figures in situations ranging from a pat on the back with disbelief to a more severe scolding, while the slashes, dashes, and parentheses portray a sense of convolution and division in identity. The phrase translates to “daughters/sons of your…” but more closely relates to the idiom “son of a bitch.” This nostalgic phrase sets up the concepts that drive the works of the artists, reflecting on their past experiences in which they were called an “hija/o de tu madre” or similar. These situations can be traced to a time in their adolescence or childhood when they challenged the cultural and societal expectations of the latina/e/o/x household. Hija/e/o/x(s) de Su– grants the audience access to these moments of joy, rebellion, tragedy, and mischief to find commonality through shared experiences.
To earn the moniker of Hija/e/o/x(s) de Su– you have to allow yourself to experiment, fuck things up, and be comfortable existing outside of the conventional. The artists featured in this project explore these concepts through painting, photography, sculpture, performance, printmaking, drawing, illustration, and curating. The curatorial approach to this exhibition was to match that energy by establishing connections, posing questions, and challenging the conventional practices of curating an exhibition, culminating in a collaborative effort full of play and introspection.
Featuring works by Kristy Moreno, Geovany Uranda, Robert Nuñez, Emmanuel Muñoz, Häsler Gómez, Lauren Cardenas, Daisy Sanchez, Anny Ayala Ortega, Alexys Keller, Robert Ibarra, Jahi, Dan45 Hernandez, Ruby Barrientos, Cesar Piedra, Brian Martinez, Adriana Chavez, and Ricardo Rubalcaba-Parades.
Hija/e/o/x(s) de Su– is the second exhibition of our 2023 Curator Series curated by Cesar Piedra and Geovany Uranda. This is a traveling group exhibition that will show first at the Holland Project from July 11 – Aug 25 and then at Nuwu Art Gallery + Community Center in Las Vegas from September 8th – December 7th, 2023 .
Cesar Piedra is an interdisciplinary artist based in Reno, NV. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the University of Nevada Reno in 2021. His practice is influenced by contemporary and mesoamerican cultures. Piedra’s works have been exhibited across galleries in Nevada, such as The Marjorie Barrick and Lilley Museums, CCAI Courthouse Gallery, and the Holland Project. Piedra’s curatorial practice is based on conversations with his contemporaries, where they riff on a subject and get excited about the proposed content and the addition of fellow artist and their contribution to the conversation. This method of organization has produced two prior exhibitions The Burrito Show with Pax Robinson, and Hijo’s de Suu- with Häsler Gomez.
Geovany Uranda (he/they) is a Las Vegas Chicano artist exploring the mediums of muralism, design, and sculpture. He is currently attending the University of Las Vegas, NV (UNLV) and working towards a Bachelor of Fine Arts in sculpture and drawing/painting/printmaking. He has participated in multiple group exhibitions and collaborated on several projects including the design of “The ABCs of Latindad Coloring Book” for the podcast Latinos Who Lunch. His most recognized piece was the large-scale mural, Tres Fases, which was displayed at UNLV’s Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art’s exhibition Future Relics: Artifacts for a New World curated by GULCH Collective. Another large-scale work, This is Fine, was installed in the desert near the ghost town of Rhyolite for the 2nd Bullfrog Biennial at the Goldwell Open Air Museum and Red Barn Art Center and performatively installed in various parts of Las Vegas as signs of protest. He recently completed the mural, Nuestras Mascaras, in Eastside Las Vegas near where he grew up.