An exhibition of paintings from 2019-2021, Together with the Earth is a collection of solitary figures existing at the crossroads of human rights, environmental concerns, and mental health. The figures are meaningfully positioned, offering a still of their current emotional state. The corn husks represent the skin of the figures, recalling Mesoamerican beliefs that our very beings are created from maíz. These “mestiza media” works reclaim the “mestizo” colonial caste label. I define mestiza media as when materials originate from the region(s) of the artist’s ancestors. This material use also works to dismantle folk and fine art hierarchies within the arts. Accepting mixedness is also about embracing queerness and the fluid nature of identities that reject constructed binaries. The silhouette allows for a common ground and human relatability. The isolation of each figure speaks to the social confinement of the COVID-19 era, yet the paintings come together in the space. Despite our frequent solitude, we have managed to maintain and build community during difficult times.

Suzy González is an artist, curator, and zinester based in Yanaguana, aka San Antonio, TX. She has had solo exhibits at Presa House Gallery, Hello Studio, Palo Alto College, and two-person exhibits at Texas A&M University Corpus Christi and the University of Connecticut. She’s currently exhibiting at The Biennial of the Americas’s COVID-19 Memorial Exhibit at Museo de las Americas in Denver and recently completed a community mural at the San Antonio Museum of Art. She has attended residencies at Vermont Studio Center (VT), the Trelex Residency (Peru), The Wassaic Residency (NY), Starry Night Residency (NM), the Studios at MASS MoCA (MA), and Hello Studio (TX). Suzy co-publishes Yes, Ma’am zine, co-organizes the San Anto Zine Fest, and is half of the collective Dos Mestizx. She is a 2018 alum of the NALAC Leadership Institute, a 2019 alum of the Intercultural Leadership Institute and NYFA Immigrant Artist Mentoring Program, and attended a 2021 training with The Center for Artistic Activism. Suzy holds an MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design and a BFA from Texas State University