Judithe Hernandez

For my project and presentation, I am going to be featuring Judithe Hernandez, who is considered one of the founding members of the Chicano/LA Mural movements. There is something very haunting but also ethereal about her works, and I love the way that she uses color to punctuate certain aspects of her works. From the works that I discovered while poking around the internet, I am facinated by her subjects and really want to learn more about the symbolism and meaning behind her pieces.

Judithe is from here in LA, but has also lived in Chicago, IL. Her education was here in LA at the Otis Art Institute, where she received a BFA and an MFA. She first became recognized in the 1970's for her work as a muralist in Los Angeles, and was the 5th member (and only female) to join the famous Los Four. As well as being an acclaimed artist, she is also known for helping organize Chicano artists across the state of California.

Judithe Hernandez' work is exhibited throughout all of California, as well as in Chicago and New York City. In addition, because she is a muralist, you can also find her murals throughout Los Angeles. She was also recently chosen to be only one of 72 artists of Latino decent to present work in the Smithsonian's permanent collection as part of their "Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art" exhibition, which opened in October 2013.

Although she did not start her career as a political activist, when the Chicano/Chicana movement started to take off in the 1960's, Hernandez was moved to start using her art to discuss issues that were important to her community. Her art tackles themes such as racism, discrimination, and exclusion. Hernandez presents these issues in a way that is visually impactful but also seems to have a way that presents these issues in a more universal way so that other groups can relate to her work as well. I am truly looking forward to diving into her beautiful work and unpacking all the messages she has woven throughout her art.