Marcelina Gonzales was born in 1989 in Brownsville, Texas, a bordertown known for its fusion of Mexican and American cultures.[1][2][3] She is a visual artist whose work focuses on her identity as a young Mexican woman growing up in neighborhood that is often marginalized and misunderstood.[2] After completing her Bachelor’s degree, her primary medium became resin collage.[2] She is known for a form of visual art that she calls “puzzling-assemblages”, a term she uses to refer to the fact that her pieces can become 2-dimensional or 3-dimensional depending on where her audience may stand.[4]
Biography
Early Life and Education
Though not much is known about Gonzales’ early life and childhood, much of her work reflects and calls back to her childhood and personal experiences.[2] As she was growing up, her poor economic situation, her identity as a young Chicana, and her neighborhood in Brownsville often caused her to feel a sense of shame and inadequacy.[5] She had trouble accepting and loving herself and as a result developed debilitating depression and anxiety.[4] She then turned to art as a form of therapy that allowed her to pursue empowerment in regards to her gender and cultural identity.[1][4]
Gonzales studied at the University of Texas at Brownsville and received a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Arts in 2013[1][3]
Career
Gonzales has exhibited her work in various parts of the world including in several cities in Texas, Seattle and Los Angeles, California, New York, Germany, Hungary, and Dubai.[1][4][5]
Notable Artwork
Exhibits
Chicas Bonitas, La Retama Central Library, Corpus Christi, TX (2020)
GIRLS will be GIRLS, Rusteberg Art Gallery, University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley, Brownsville, TX (2020)
Be. Long.: I Like Your Work Podcast, Dutoit Gallery, Dayton, OH
DIMENSION XLVII, Meadows Gallery, Art Center of Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX
Encuentro en La Frontera, Carlotta K. Petrona Cultural Center, Brownsville, TX
Building Bridges of Solidarity, Carlotta K. Petrona Cultural Center, Brownsville, TX
Artspace111: 6th Annual Regional Juried Exhibition, Artspace111, Fort Worth, TX
A Woman’s Worth, Studio 2500, Birmingham, AL
Before/After, Lotta Studio, New Haven, CT
AMoA Biennial 600: Textile/Fiber, Amarillo Museum of Art, Amarillo TX (2019)
Mujer-eres, B&E Art Studio, Brownsville, TX (2019)
Stop It!, Rosenthal Gallery, Fayetteville, NC
Chicas Bonitas, La Retama Central Library, Corpus Christi, TX
The Expectation of Others, Field Projects Gallery, New York City, NY (2019)
Latinos Unidos, La Retama Central Library, Corpus Christi, TX (2018)
500 Expo, 500 X Gallery, Dallas, TX (2018)
ONE: Annual Emerging Artist Exhibit, Cleve Carney Art Gallery, Glen Ellyn, IL (2018)
46th International Art Show, Brownsville Museum of Fine Art, Brownsville, TX (2018)
Chicas Bonitas, La Retama Central Library, Corpus Christi, TX (2018)
Pressure Points, M. Rosetta Hunter Gallery, Seattle Central College, Seattle, WA (2018)
Square Ft. Biennial, Gallery 66, Albuquerque, NM (2018)
Authentic Marks, Zayed University, Dubai, United Arab Emirates (2018)
Mujer-eres, Platform 204, Harlingen, TX (2018)
Images of Power, Freight Gallery, San Antonio, TX (2018)
First Come First Serve, Fort Works Art, Fort Worth, TX (2018)
Icons & Symbols of the Borderland Binational Exhibition, Brownsville Museum of Fine Art, Brownsville, TX (2018)
Object, Galeria 409, Brownsville, TX (2018)
NEVER SORRY, BAM!, Brownsville, TX (2017)
References
1. About. (n.d.). Marcelina Gonzales Visual Artist. Retrieved October 13, 2021, from https://www.marcelinagonzalesart.com/about
2. Laurens, M. (2021, March 24). Q+Art: Marcelina Gonzales Explores Identity and Culture with Intimate Resin Works. Not Real Art. Retrieved October 17, 2021, from https://notrealart.com/marcelina-gonzales-crafts-intimate-resin-works-exploring-identity/
3. Virtual Studio Visit: Marcelina Gonzales. (2020). The University of Texas at Austin Department of Art and History. Retrieved October 16, 2021, from https://utvac.org/event/virtual-studio-visit-marcelina-gonzales
4. Star, R. (2016, August 8). Brownsville Artist Shows in Germany. RGV Life Magazine. https://issuu.com/rgvlifemagazine/docs/rgv_life_magazine_final
5. South Texas College Library. (2021, March 21). Transforming Our World: Art Self-Care [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASvXUczhYts
Further Reading
El Retorno: El Valle Celebra Nuestra Gloria Anzaldúa Luncheon Symposium Catalogue, Edinburg, TX, 2015
Cure for the Blues, by Nancy Moyer, The Monitor, McAllen, TX, 2013
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