Jackie Amezquita (born August 10, 1985) is a performance artist known for her work exploring power structures and the effects of them on ourselves and our environment. She is influenced by her experiences as an immigrant woman here in the United States, often referencing the relationship she now has with borders. She puts together what she refers to as a “visual language” with the help of weaving and the use of her own body. Her pieces are known to challenge the systems of power dominating our country today.
Early Life and Education
Amezquita was born in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala and lived there with her grandmother until she was about 17 years old. At this age, she decided to cross the border and travel to Los Angeles, California where she met her mother. Her mother had travelled to Los Angeles when Amezquita was only two years old, so the two had been separated for almost 15 years.
She received an Associate’s Degree in Visual Communications from Los Angeles Valley College and her Bachelor’s in Fine Art from Art Center College of Design. She is currently a Master’s of Fine Arts candidate at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Notable Works
Proclamacion (2020)
17 people gathered to eat with only their hands; depicts the plates of food before and after gathering
De Norte a Sur (2019)
a performance piece in which she went from US/Mexico border to the Mexico/Guatemala border
Huella Que Germinan (2018)
performance piece in which she walked from Tijuana, Mexico to Los Angeles, California in silence, in only 8 days
Exhibitions
Suenos Fertiles (Fertile Dreams), Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, Summer 2018
Tension, with Tanya Aguiniga, Museum of Art and Design in Manhattan, New York, Spring 2018
I Am the American Dream, Studio 50 Gallery in Highland Park, California, Spring 2018
References
Staff. “Meet Jackie Amézquita of Binational Artist/Activist in El Sereno.” VoyageLA Magazine, VoyageLA, 29 July 2019, http://voyagela.com/interview/meet-jackie-amezquita-binational-artist-activist/.
Alonso, Andrea. “This Artist Walked from Tijuana to L.A. to Make a Powerful Statement.” Los Angeles Magazine, Los Angeles Magazine, 27 Apr. 2018, https://www.lamag.com/culturefiles/jackie-amezquita/.
Pretelin, Claudia. “Retracing Our Steps: An Interview with Jackie Amézquita.” Instruments of Memory, Instruments of Memory, 22 Aug. 2020, https://instrumentsofmemory.com/2020/08/15/retracing-our-steps-an-interview-with-jackie-amezquita/.
External Links
- Jackie Amezquita’s website, https://jackieamezquita.com
- Jackie Amezquita’s Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/jackieamezquita/?hl=en
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