Editor’s Note: This article was written for Mosaic Vision, an independent journalism training program for high school students who report and photograph stories under the guidance of professional journalists.
At the age of 14, Cynthia Gonzalez was introduced to art through a program at MACLA, or Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana, a contemporary Hispanic art gallery.
Today, at 37, Gonzalez’s sculptures – along with the works of other queer Latinx artists – are on display in “Queer-ennial: A Story of Armor,” a groundbreaking exhibition at the downtown San Jose gallery. MACLA describes the exposition as a showcase of the queer Latinx community’s resilience in protecting their minds, bodies and spirits when going out into society.
“This exhibition was a priority for MACLA because of a lack of representation for queer Latinx artists, whose culture is not truly reflected or appreciated in San Jose,” said Visual Arts Curator Alyssarhaye Graciano. “With this exhibition, we hope to foster empathy, respect and inclusivity while challenging stereotypes and biases.’’
Gonzalez’s art blossomed after they shed concerns about acceptance and became more receptive to explicitly displaying their identity in their art.
“A lot of the work I was first creating tiptoed around queerness,” said Gonzalez, who uses gender-neutral pronouns. “When I went to college, I was encouraged to analyze the motivations behind my art, and that’s how I made the connection back to my identity as a queer Hispanic person.”
Ever since, the openness of their work has resonated with many members of the local LGBTQ+ community, Gonzalez said.
Two of Gonzalez’s artworks are in the Queer-ennial exhibition. One of the pieces, “My Insecurity Blanket” (2023), uses mixed materials to create a colorful array of shapes woven together with yarn. Above it hangs the second piece, “You Can’t Break Me” (2023), which is made of paper mache and portrays layered faces with different emotions.
Gonzalez’s journey as an artist has faced several obstacles. As a teen, they enjoyed painting and sculpting but at 19 they were forced to pursue a more stable career.
“I worked at the post office for years until I had a health scare at 25. That made me realize I only have the chance to live once, so I decided to pursue my dream of creating art,” Gonzalez said.
That dream can be fleeting due to the uncertainties of an artistic career.
“I keep telling my sisters, I could be doing my master’s degree in art today and working at Starbucks tomorrow,” Gonzalez said. “Art is a hustle and it can have its ups and downs.”
The steepest challenge is San Jose’s high cost of living.
“Over the years, I’ve seen more artists moving away from the city because they get priced out. San Jose says it wants art and culture in the city, but it doesn’t actually support the artists who can’t afford to live here,” Gonzalez said.
Despite the hurdles, Gonzalez is determined to keep creating.
“Through art, I can visually express my emotions to any audience without using words or language,” Gonzalez said. “The act of creating art puts me in a meditative trance that makes me stop thinking about the outside world. To me, art is freedom.”
Queer-ennial: A Story of Armor, an exhibition of works from 23 artists, continues until Nov. 12 at MACLA/Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino, 510 S. First St., San Jose.
Ella Polak is a junior at Leland High School in San Jose.
