14” x 17” | Canvas | 2020

Art Description

My artwork work is dividing into 3 sections, each of which shows the cruelty immigrants are facing today in America such as separations of their own families, getting arrested at borders that shouldn’t be blocked off. Not to mention the corruption that Americans today have when they say that these immigrants came to America to steal jobs from the citizens that haven’t made any effort to claim these jobs. Every single person today is facing their own specific immortality because of who they were born as. I’m one of those people; I’m part of a minority that is facing injustice only because we are not the same. I want my artwork to help people realize that our country is tainted by the false beliefs of others.

Art + Activism

Art is my way of showing people how I feel without having to tell them anything. I’m not good with words and luckily, you don’t have to be good with words to create art. Whether someone says they don’t have problems, they do; but they’ve found something for them to be able to flood themselves out. The activism that’s happening today is because people felt that doing that would have themselves heard and by being heard, they can establish changes that should’ve been made before. I know this generation, my generation, is working towards change; and I know somehow, some way, my artwork is going to be a part of the push that establishes change.

Artist Statement

I’m someone who has lived in one place for the entirety of their life. I want to be able to see the amazing things this world has, not an apocalyptic world. That’s why I chose to steer towards marine biology; without the ocean, our world is as good as gone. I want to be very involved in the changes that will be made to our world, even if no one knows my name. As a marine biologist, or even an artist, I will be able to inflict some change that will impact our world for the better. 

-Alejandra Cantu, Cass Tech