Visual artist, activist, muralist, nonprofit director
Known for
Collage, painting, printmaking
Favianna Rodriguez (born September 26, 1978) is an American visual artist, and activist, known for her work in political posters, graphic arts, and public art.[1][2] Her artwork topics include global politics, economic injustice, interdependence, patriarchy, migration, and sexual liberation. She worked as a director of the National Arts Organization CultureStrike, in which writers, visual artists, and performers engage in migrant rights.[3]
Early life and education
Rodriguez was born in the Oakland, California in 1978, in the Fruitvale neighborhood.[4] Her parents are Peruvian, having migrated from Peru to California in the late 1960s.[5] Rodriguez self-identifies as queer and Latina with Afro-Peruvian roots.[6] She attended Centro Infantil school in Oakland in her early childhood.[2] Rodriguez's artistic talents emerged at a young age; during primary school Rodriguez once appeared on a Spanish television show to share her artwork.[6][5] Her parents supported her art but pressured her to pursue a career in medicine or engineering.[5][7]
Fruitvale is a predominantly Latinx neighborhood. Here, Rodriguez experienced and became aware of anti-Latinx racism. She observed that students from her community were under-served by the school system, profiled as gang members, and women of color having negative representation in the media.[5] Rodriguez went to live in Mexico City from age 13 to 15, first with her aunt and then in a rented room.[7] She became interested in politically engaged artwork, learning about the political context of murals, and the work of Frida Kahlo with whom she immediately identified.[6][7] Upon her return to Oakland, she became involved with activism and other Latinx organizers. She created the first Latino club at her school.[6] When she was 16, California Proposition 187 was introduced, marking state level anti-immigrant legislation.[6][5]
After graduating from Skyline High School in Oakland in 1996, Rodriguez received numerous scholarships and chose to attend the University of California, Berkeley.[7] She withdrew at age 20 indicating she wanted to follow her path rather than limit herself to her parents' wishes.[5] She was inspired by printmaking, introduced to her by Chicana artist Yreina Cervantez, and decided to pursue a career in political art.[5]
Rodriguez has worked closely with artists in Mexico, Europe, and Japan, and her works have appeared in collections at Bellas Artes, The Glasgow Print Studio, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.[10] In 2003, with Jesus Barraza, Rodriguez helped establish the Taller Tupac Amaru print studio to promote the practice of screen printing among California-based artists and foster its resurgence.[10][11] Rodriguez also co-founded EastSide Arts Alliance and Cultural Center, an organization of artists and community organizers intended to promote community sustainability through political and cultural awareness and leadership development.[12] She serves on the board of Presente.org, a national online organizing network dedicated to the political empowerment of Latino communities.[13]
