Hija/e/o/x (s) de Su-

Curitorial Statment by Cesar Piedra and Geovany Uranda

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.