SALVADOR JIMÉNEZ

The move from a rural town in México to a major metropolis in the United States has had a tremendous impact in my life. At first, art was merely a way of coping with the transition. My search for identity was frustrated by the fact that I couldn ’t communicate effectively, due to my limited English, so art became my tool for self-expression.

My work is a combination of painting, photography, drawing, collage, sculpture, installation, graphic design, and found objects. In my work I document my journey to adapt to living in the United States, while looking back at what I left behind in México. The challenge of being bicultural and bilingual is that I live concurrently in two different worlds. Neither my adaptation to a foreign land nor the return to my motherland will ever be complete. Everywhere, I am a foreigner.

The content of my work is socio-political and is driven by my powerful life experiences. It deals with immigration, identity, culture, injustice, language, and religion. I have observed inequality, marginalization, discrimination, oppression, and racism in México, as well as in the United States. As an artist I feel I have the responsibility to address the issues that affect my community and to create awareness and propose actions through my art. I’m an artist and an activist that believes in the power of art.