Dewey Tafoya
Connected to the Land, 2019
Serigraph, Ed. 35
30”x22”

Connected to the Land features an Olmec colossal head, a popular motif in Tafoya’s prints. The representation of these large, sculpted human heads created by the Olmecs (considered the earliest known civilization in Mesoamerica and located in south-central Mexico) not only reference pre-colonial histories but also stand in for Chicano identity in the present-day and its strongly rooted ties to indigeneity.

This print was commissioned as part Gráfica América, an exhibition at the Museum of Latin American Art, curated by Gabriella Martinez, MOLAA Curator of Education, and Rogelio Gutierrez, Associate Professor of Art at Arizona State University. “The exhibition celebrates the collaborative spirit of printmaking through historical prints and publications as well as contemporary traditional and experimental works made in collective studios and workshops established by Latin American and Latinx printmakers”

Raised in Boyle Heights, Tafoya’s artistic works are influenced by the urban landscapes, cultures, and communities of inner city Los Angeles and grounded in themes of reclaiming history and culture, decolonization, cultural pride, and activism. He serves as one of Self Help Graphic & Art’s masterprinters, a lead artist in the Barrio Mobile Arts Studio (BMAS), and long time teaching artist facilitating workshops during Día de los Muertos and the City of Los Angelesʼs Summer Night Lights program. His work has been acquired by LACMA, including his Día de los Muertos commemorative print, “Los tenis de Cuauhtémoc” (2018).