De Aquí y De Allá (From Here and There)
Alejandra Gonzalez Zertuche
Exhibition Dates:  December 3 – December 28, 2021

De Aquí y De Allá (From Here and There) is an ongoing series of paintings that center on the Mexican experience in the United States. It depicts the scenes of hardship and resilience that are typical in both the banal and dangerous settings that are experienced by the people in my community and myself. Drawing from personal memories and family stories, my paintings recall the journey many have taken crossing the Rio Grande and their life after arriving in a new land. These scenes are larger-than-life to contemplate the magnitude of the issues that are experienced by generations of migrants in the United States. I narrate the identity of being “de aquí y de allá” (from here and there) a blend of Mexican heritage in northern soil, and not “ni de aquí ni de allá” (neither from here nor there). An expression that has often been used to describe a feeling of uprootedness and of not belonging anywhere. I create a conscious remark and utilize this work to report my visual testimony about transformation, hope, and survival in the United States.

De Aquí y De Allá es una serie continua de pinturas que se centra en la experiencia del mexicano en los Estados Unidos. Representa las escenas de dificultad y resistencia que son típicas tanto en los entornos banales como peligrosos que experimentamos la gente de mi comunidad y yo. A partir de recuerdos personales e historias familiares, mis pinturas recuentan el viaje que muchos han hecho al cruzar el Río Grande y su vida después de llegar a una nueva tierra. Estas escenas parecen ser más grandes que en vida para contemplar la magnitud de los problemas que viven generaciones de migrantes en los Estados Unidos. Narro la identidad de ser “de aquí y de allá”, una mezcla de herencia mexicana en la tierra del norte, y no de “ni de aquí ni de allá. Una expresión que se ha utilizado a menudo para describir un sentimiento de desarraigo y de no pertenecer a ningún lado. Creo un comentario consciente y utilizo este trabajo para informar mi testimonio visual sobre la transformación, la esperanza y la supervivencia en los Estados Unidos.

Alejandra Gonzalez Zertuche (b. 1997 in Coahuila, Mx.) immigrated to Texas and has since resided in central Texas. Alejandra is a figurative painter who draws inspiration from her Mexican heritage and familial stories. Her work is part of the Texas State University permanent collection and was a part of the Student Juried Exhibition show (2021). Alejandra is currently a student at Texas State University and is expected to graduate with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in the spring of 2022.