She first received acclaim in the 1970s as a muralist her artistic practice shifted over time and now is centered on works-on-paper, principally pastels, which frequently incorporate indigenist imagery and the social-political tension of gender roles.[8]
In 1974, she became the fifth member, and only woman, in Los Four, the influential and celebrated East Los Angeles Chicano artist collective, along with Carlos Almaraz, Frank Romero, Robert de la Rocha, and Gilbert Luján.[9][10] And she was later briefly part of the art collective, Centro de Arte Público along with Barbara Carrasco and Dolores Guerrero-Cruz.[11] As early as 1970, Hernández was involved in the initial efforts of Chicano artists in East Los Angeles to organize. Of this experience, Hernández later said that "Often I was literally the only female at meetings who was not a girlfriend or wife, but an active artist participant."[8]
Early life and education
Judithe Hernández painting at the "Murals of Aztlan exhibition (1981) at Craft and Folk Art Museum (CAFAM), Los Angeles
Judithe Hernández was born in 1948 in Los Angeles, California.[3] She attended Otis College of Art and Design (formally called Otis Art Institute) where she received her BFA degree in 1972, and then her MFA degree in 1979.[12]
When she enrolled at Otis College in 1969, she was only one of five Mexican-American students enrolled.[13] While attending graduate school in 1972 at Otis College, she met her classmate, Carlos Almaraz.[13] Through her friendship with Almaraz, she was invited as the fifth member to join Los Four art collective in 1974.[9]
During her time at Otis College, Hernández studied drawing with the renowned African-American artist Charles White who became a mentor and important influence on her development as an artist.[13] Hernández attributes much of her success to the teachers and professors who recognized her ability and encouraged her to pursue her career as an artist.[14]
After graduation, she and Almaraz collaborated with El Teatro Campesino, worked on behalf of the United Farm Workers (UFW), and as members of the Concilio de Arte Popular (CAP), they worked to create an organization that united Chicano artists across the state of California. Chicano artist organizations such as the Royal Chicano Air Force of Sacramento; Galeria de la Raza, in San Francisco, and the artists of Chicano Park in San Diego were among those who participated in CAP in the 1970s.[6]
In 1981, she and seven other Chicano muralists painted murals on canvas inside the Craft and Folk Art Museum in Los Angeles for an exhibition entitled The Murals of Aztlán. The artists were criticized in Artweek magazine by reviewer Shifra Goldman for "shedding … their cultural identity and political militance" in order to "enter the mainstream as competitive professionals."[15] Hernández responded "why should changes in my work and socio-political attitudes be construed as compromising my commitment … while in another artist the same would be construed as personal and professional growth?"[15]
In July 1989, marked the first exhibition of Chicano art in Europe, Les Démon des Anges, at Centre de Recherche et de Développement Culturel (CRDC) in Nantes, France. Included in the exhibition were sixteen Chicano artists (of which were three women) and this event brought international significance to Hernández's work.
1980s
In the early 1980s Hernández relocated to Chicago and lived there for more than 25 years before returning to Los Angeles in 2010. Her final exhibition in Chicago was a major solo exhibition of new work at the National Museum of Mexican Art. La Vida Sobre Papel, opened in January 2011 and included several new series of work, one of which was the noted serial murders of women in Ciudad Juárez. According to the Chicago Weekly, "The only thing as conspicuous as the artist's skill is her message: being human is hard, a woman harder, and life as a Latina occasionally downright grisly."[16] Hernandez says she will continue working on the series until the 800-2000 deaths are acknowledged by the Mexican government.[17]
2000s
In 2011, Hernández was among a select group of artists whose contributions to the art of Los Angeles were honored in multiple exhibitions which were part of the sweeping arts initiative known as Pacific Standard Time: Art in L.A., 1945–1980 (PST), funded by the Getty Foundation. In 2012 Hernández was the recipient of two major awards; the prestigious C.O.L.A. Fellowship (City of Los Angeles Individual Artist Fellowship) for 2013, as well as the coveted commission to create public art for the Terminus Station of Metro EXPO LINE at Colorado & 4th Street in Santa Monica by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority of Los Angeles. The Expo Line Downtown Santa Monica station opened on May 20, 2016. "The station at the edge of the continent" features 24 mosaic glass panels designed by Hernández positioned over its two-passenger platforms. Collectively, the panels are known at "L.A. Sonata" and depict the passage of the day and the seasons using a montage of cultural icons representing the cultural and ethnic diversity of Los Angeles. It is expected to be one of the most traveled light-rail lines in the U.S.
2010s
In 2013, Hernández was one of 72 artists chosen for the first major exhibition of contemporary American artists of Latino descent at the Smithsonian American Art Museum from works in their permanent collection. "Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art" opened in October 2013. After closing in January 2014, the exhibition traveled to several other museums throughout the United States, including the Crocker Museum in California, the Utah Museum of Fine Arts in Salt Lake City, and the Hunter Museum of Art in Tennessee. In 2017, Hernández will again have work in multiple exhibitions of the Getty Foundation sponsored Pacific Standard Time LA/LA which explores the influence of Latin American art on the art of Los Angeles. Her work "The Purification" was selected as a featured promotional image for PST LA/LA.
Over her 50-year career, she has established a significant record of exhibition and acquisition of her work by major public and private collections; which include the Museum of Modern Art, Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art, the National Museum of Mexican Art, the Museum of Latin American Art, the Crocker Art Museum, the Gerald Buck Collection, and the Bank of America. She has been the recipient of the prestigious University of Chicago Artist-in-Residence at the Center for the Study of Race, Politics, & Culture, the C.O.L.A. Fellowship, and the Comisión Femenil Mexicana Nacional Award for Achievement in the Fine Arts. In 2018, the importance of her status as an American artist was confirmed when the Pulitzer Prize winning Chief Art Critic of the Los Angeles, Christopher Knight, reviewed her solo exhibition at MOLAA and wrote "...Hernández’s art is churned by her marvelous color sense, which unmoors any illustrative limits of the genre."[18]
In 2018, Hernández was honored by the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago with the Sor Juana Legacy Award for "outstanding lifetime contributions to arts" and in August she will become the first American-born Latina to open a solo exhibition at the Museum of Latin American Art. Also in 2018, her work "La Virgen del la Oscuridad" will become the featured image of the newly redesigned permanent exhibition "Becoming Los Angeles" of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County which re-opens in May. In 2019, her newest mural commission marks the return of her artistic presence to the historic district of downtown Los Angeles when her seven-story mural "La Nueva Reina de Los Angeles" is installed on the northwest residential tower of La Plaza Village at Broadway and the Hollywood Freeway.
She is married to designer Morton Neikrug, and together they have one daughter.[2]
Key Themes and Techniques in Judithe Hernández's Artwork
Judithe Hernández's artwork is characterized by several key themes and artistic techniques that are deeply intertwined with her social and political activism.[19][20] These elements work together to create a powerful and evocative body of work that celebrates Chicana/o identity, challenges social injustices[19], and reclaims indigenous heritage.
Celebrating Indigeneity
Hernández's art consistently centers indigenous imagery and themes, emphasizing their importance to Chicanx identity.[3]
This is particularly evident in her early work for Aztlán journal, where she draws inspiration from Mesoamerican codices, Native American pottery designs, and mythical figures like the Thunderbird.[3]
This commitment to indigenizing imagery is highlighted in which states that “Hernández’s covers for Aztlán...capture some of the most important concerns of el Movimiento: the importance of Aztlán, the reinvigoration of Mexican traditions, an alignment with indigenous peoples, the importance of Chicanx history, and the value of family.”[3]
Her conscious decision to avoid common Chicano Movement imagery and instead opt for indigenizing imagery reflected a new visual language.[21]
Elevating Chicana Women
Hernández is a pioneer in depicting strong, heroic Chicana women, challenging traditional representations and asserting their crucial role in the Chicano movement.[3]
Her murals and prints feature figures like the Adelita, the indigenous warrior, and La Reina de la Primavera, all symbols of strength, action, and the changing face of the movement.[3]
Her work aims to make Chicana and Mexicana women visible, serving as a powerful expression of her feminism.[3]
Her collaborative murals at Ramona Gardens depicted powerful female figures and celebrated the activism of Chicanas in the Chicano movement.[3]
Confronting Violence Against Women
A recurring theme in Hernández's later work is the exploration of femicide along the Mexico border.[20]
Through powerful and evocative imagery, she memorializes the victims, highlighting their indigenous heritage and the brutality they face.[22]
Her works like La santa desconocida and Juárez quinceañera force viewers to confront the tragic reality of these crimes.[3]
The works use symbolism and visual metaphors to evoke the brutality of these crimes and honor the memory of the victims. For example, in her Juarez Series, lilies represent death and a recurring red hand symbolizes a “demon-like” figure associated with death.[20]
Reclaiming and Reshaping History
Hernández's art actively engages with history, both reinterpreting traditional narratives and creating new visual representations of Chicanx identity.[19]
Her recent mural La Nueva Reina de Los Ángeles exemplifies this by replacing the traditional Catholic image of the Virgin Mary with a powerful indigenous figure, symbolizing a reclamation of Los Angeles as native land.[3]
Hernández on the symbolic power of this work: “I believe that public artists are entrusted with the unique responsibility to frame their artistic vision to reflect a community’s collective perception of a moment in time. It is my hope that La Nueva Reina will come to embody this moment and become a visual memory of Los Angeles for all who see her.”[3]
In her L.A. Sonata mosaics, Hernández reinterprets traditional Western representations of the seasons, replacing traditional figures with diverse women from various cultures and elevating them to positions of power and significance.[23]
Artistic Techniques
Hernández's artistic style is characterized by bold graphic elements, vivid colors, and simple imagery.[22]
She draws inspiration from both indigenous art and European artistic traditions.[3]
Her early work for Aztlán often employed bold graphic elements and references to pre-Columbian iconography.[22][3]
Later works demonstrate her skilled draftsmanship and mastery of techniques like hatching and cross-hatching to create volume and texture.[3]
She utilizes masks in her art as a powerful metaphor for the multiple identities and hidden experiences of Chicanas and Mexicanas.[21][3]
Social and Political Activism: Hernández's art is inseparable from her social and political activism.
Her work consistently advocates for social justice, particularly for Chicana and indigenous women.[21]
She uses her art to challenge patriarchal worldviews, raise awareness about violence against women, and promote a more inclusive and equitable society.[19]
Her work can be seen as a “cultural warrior,” challenging conventional notions about art and its role in society.[19]
She has been a key figure in the Chicano art movement, contributing to its development and advocating for its recognition within the American art world.[22][19]
Overall, Judithe Hernández's art is a powerful testament to the ability of art to challenge perceptions, inspire dialogue, and advocate for social change.[21] Through her unique visual language and unwavering commitment to social justice, she has made significant contributions to the Chicano art movement and continues to inspire generations of artists and activists.[20]
2009 – Judithe Hernández and Sergio Gomez: Through the Labyrinth, President's Gallery, Chicago State University, Chicago, Illinois
2009 – Feminist Ecology: Women and the Earth, Koehnline Museum, Chicago, Illinois
1989–1990 – Les Démon des Anges, (traveling group exhibition), Centre de Recherche et de Développement Culturel (CRDC), Nantes, France; Centro de Arte Contemporaño Santa Monica, Barcelona, Spain; Espace Lyonnais d'Art Contemporain, Lyon, France; Kulturerhuset, Stockholm, Sweden
Los Angeles Bicentennial Mural, the central image is that of La Reina de Los Ángeles (Queen of the Angels).[42][27]
1977
Adelita or La Adelita
Carlos Almaraz, Judithe Hernández
mural
Ramona Gardens Housing Project, East Los Angeles, California
In the center of the mural is a woman with a red scarf (presumably named Adelita) and on both sides of her is text written in Spanish.[43] The work is signed as the "Los Four".
1977
Ave 43 Mural
Carlos Almaraz, Frank Romero, Leo Limon, Judithe Hernández
^Noriega, Chon A., ed. (2011). Chicano Art in the City of Dreams A History in Nine Movements. Terezita Romo (editor), Pilar Tompkins Rivas (editor). UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center Press. p. 81.
^"Judithe Hernandez". Otis College of Art and Design. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
^ abLomelí, Francisco, ed. (1993). Handbook of Hispanic cultures in the United States, Volume 3: Literature and Art. Arté Publico Press, University of Houston. ISBN1-55885-074-0. Kanellos, Nicolás. Available on Google Books. ISBN9781611921632. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
^Riehle, Christopher (February 9, 2011). "Pain on Paper". Chicago Weekly. "(available online)". Archived from the original on March 13, 2013. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
