Favianna Rodriguez (born September 26, 1978) is an American

artist An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse refers to a practitioner in the visual arts only. However, t ...

and

activist Activism (or Advocacy) consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society toward a perceived greater good. Forms of activism range fr ...

. She has self-identified as queer and Latina with

Afro-Peruvian Black Peruvians or Afro-Peruvians are Peruvian of mostly or partially African descent. They mostly descend from enslaved Africans brought to Peru after the arrival of the conquistadors. Early history The first Africans arrived with the conque ...

roots. Rodriguez began as a political poster designer in the 1990s in the struggle for

racial justice Anti-racism encompasses a range of ideas and political actions which are meant to counter racial prejudice, systemic racism, and the oppression of specific racial groups. Anti-racism is usually structured around conscious efforts and deliberate ...

Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast of the United States, West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third ...

, California. Rodriguez is known for using her art as a tool for activism. Her designs and projects range on a variety of different issues including

globalization Globalization, or globalisation (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English; American and British English spelling differences#-ise, -ize (-isation, -ization), see spelling differences), is the process of foreign relation ...

immigration Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not natives or where they do not possess citizenship in order to settle as permanent residents or naturalized citizens. Commuters, tourists, a ...

feminism Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...

patriarchy Patriarchy is a social system in which positions of dominance and privilege are primarily held by men. It is used, both as a technical anthropological term for families or clans controlled by the father or eldest male or group of males a ...

, interdependence, and

genetically modified foods Genetically modified foods (GM foods), also known as genetically engineered foods (GE foods), or bioengineered foods are foods produced from organisms that have had changes introduced into their DNA using the methods of genetic engineering. Gene ...

. Rodriguez is a co-founder of

Presente.org Presente.org is the largest online advocacy group for Latin American immigrants in the United States. It was co-founded by journalist Roberto Lovato and artist and activist Favianna Rodriguez in 2009 in order to "amplify the political voice of Lati ...

and is the Executive Director of Culture Strike, "a national arts organization that engages artists, writers and performers in migrant rights. "

Background

Rodriguez was born in the Fruitvale neighborhood of east

Oakland, California Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast of the United States, West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third ...

in 1978. Her parents are Peruvian, having migrated to California from Peru in the late 1960s. Rodriguez's artistic talents emerged at a young age; during primary school Rodriguez won art contests and once appeared on Spanish television to share her artwork. Her parents supported her art but pressured her to pursue a career in medicine or engineering. Fruitvale is a predominantly

Latinx ''Latinx'' is a neologism in American English which is used to refer to people of Latin American cultural or ethnic identity in the United States. The gender-neutral suffix replaces the ending of ''Latino'' and ''Latina'' that are typical o ...

neighborhood and here Rodriguez experienced and became aware of anti-Latinx racism. She observed that students from her community were under-served by the school system and profiled as gang members while she only saw negative representation of women of color in the media. Reportedly, in order to better shape her adolescence, Rodriguez went to live in

Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley of ...

from age 13 to 15, first with her aunt and then in a rented room. Here she became interested in politically engaged artwork, learning the political context of murals and the work of

Frida Kahlo Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderón (; 6 July 1907 – 13 July 1954) was a Mexican painter known for her many portraits, self-portraits, and works inspired by the nature and artifacts of Mexico. Inspired by Culture of Mexico, the country's ...

with whom she immediately identified. Upon her return to Oakland, she became involved with activism and other Latinx organizers. She created the first Latino club at her school. When she was 16,

California Proposition 187 California Proposition 187 (also known as the ''Save Our State'' (SOS) initiative) was a 1994 ballot initiative to establish a state-run citizenship screening system and prohibit illegal immigrants from using non-emergency health care, public e ...

was introduced, marking state level anti-immigrant legislation. After graduating from Skyline High School in 1996, Rodriguez received numerous scholarships and chose to attend the

University of California Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...

. She withdrew at age 20 indicating she wanted to follow her own path rather than limit herself to her parents’ wishes. She was inspired by printmaking, introduced to her by

Chicana Chicano or Chicana is a chosen identity for many Mexican Americans in the United States. The label ''Chicano'' is sometimes used interchangeably with ''Mexican American'', although the terms have different meanings. While Mexican-American ident ...

artist

Yreina Cervantez Yreina Cervantez (born 1952) is an American artist and Chicana activist who is known for her multimedia painting, murals, and printmaking. She has exhibited nationally and internationally, and her work is in the permanent collections of the Smith ...

, and decided to pursue a career in political art.

Art and activism

Rodriguez was drawn to posters and reproducible art like printmaking for their power to educate, organize, and liberate communities. Her illustrations have become synonymous with grassroots efforts to defend a variety of issues ranging from

ethnic studies Ethnic studies, in the United States, is the interdisciplinary study of difference—chiefly race, ethnicity, and nation, but also sexuality, gender, and other such markings—and power, as expressed by the state, by civil society, and by indivi ...

, immigrant and

women's rights Women's rights are the rights and entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st centuries. In some countr ...

, affirmative action to patriarchy,

interdependence Systems theory is the interdisciplinary study of systems, i.e. cohesive groups of interrelated, interdependent components that can be natural or human-made. Every system has causal boundaries, is influenced by its context, defined by its structu ...

food justice The Food Justice Movement is a grassroots initiative which emerged in response to food insecurity and economic pressures that prevent access to healthy, nutritious, and culturally appropriate foods (food should fit the cultural background of the ...

environmental A biophysical environment is a biotic and abiotic surrounding of an organism or population, and consequently includes the factors that have an influence in their survival, development, and evolution. A biophysical environment can vary in scale f ...

and

, sustainability, and youth activism. Rodriguez's art is typified by high-contrast colors and graphic figures. Rodriguez is renowned for her bold posters on immigration, racism, war, globalization, and social movements. 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 Los Angeles County Museum of Art. In 2008, Rodriguez was named one of Utne Reader magazine's “50 Visionaries Who Are Changing the World."

Organizational involvement

Rodriguez is the Executive Director and co-founder of CultureStrike, a national network of artists and activists who support the national and global arts movement around

. She serves on the board of

, a national online organizing network dedicated to the political empowerment of Latino communities. She served as interim co-director until August 2016. Rodriguez has helped establish multiple organizations to support local communities and artists. She is co-founder of Tumis Inc., a bilingual

design studio A design studio or drawing office is a workplace for designers and artisans engaged in conceiving, designing and developing new products or objects. Facilities in a design studio include clothes, furniture art equipment best suited for design work ...

providing graphics, web, and

technology development Research and development (R&D or R+D), known in Europe as research and technological development (RTD), is the set of innovative activities undertaken by corporations or governments in developing new services or products, and improving existi ...

for

social justice Social justice is justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, Equal opportunity, opportunities, and Social privilege, privileges within a society. In Western Civilization, Western and Culture of Asia, Asian cultures, the concept of social ...

. Rodriguez also co-founded EastSide Arts Alliance and Cultural Center, an organization of artists and community organizers intended to promore community sustainability through political and cultural awareness and leadership development. In 2003, with

Jesus Barraza Jesus Barraza is a print maker and graphic artist who started working as a layout editor in 1994 of the Xicana oppositional newspaper La Voz de Berkeley. He worked as a graphic designer for student groups at UC Berkeley, community organizations ...

, Rodriguez helped establish the Taller Tupac Amaru print studio to promote the practice of

screen printing Screen printing is a printing technique where a mesh is used to transfer ink (or dye) onto a substrate, except in areas made impermeable to the ink by a blocking stencil. A blade or squeegee is moved across the screen to fill the open me ...

among California-based artists and foster its resurgence. She is also a member of the

Justseeds Justseeds Artists' Cooperative is a decentralized, worker-owned cooperative of thirty artists throughout North America. Justseeds members primarily produce handmade prints and publications which are distributed through their website and at confe ...

Cooperative which distributes prints and publications about social and environmental movements. Through these programs, Rodriguez has mentored dozens of emerging young artists and helped establish a multi-use arts facility in the heart of

working-class The working class (or labouring class) comprises those engaged in manual-labour occupations or industrial work, who are remunerated via waged or salaried contracts. Working-class occupations (see also " Designation of workers by collar colo ...

East Oakland. Rodriguez has lectured at over 200 schools widely on the use and power of art in

civic engagement Civic engagement or civic participation is any individual or group activity addressing issues of public concern. Civic engagement includes communities working together or individuals working alone in both political and non-political actions to ...

and the work of artists who work to bridge community and museum, the local and international. She also lectures on cultural organizing and technology to inspire social change, and leads art workshops at schools around the country. A few of the many schools Rodriguez has lectured at include

UC Santa Cruz The University of California, Santa Cruz (UC Santa Cruz or UCSC) is a public land-grant research university in Santa Cruz, California. It is one of the ten campuses in the University of California system. Located on Monterey Bay, on the edge of ...

Stanford Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...

Michigan State Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It ...

, and

Syracuse University Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York. Established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church, the university has been nonsectarian since 1920. Locate ...

Influences

Rodriguez has been influenced by the

Chicano Movement The Chicano Movement, also referred to as El Movimiento, was a civil rights movements, social and political movement in the United States inspired by prior acts of resistance among people of Mexican descent, especially of Pachucos in the 1940s and ...

and feminist art of the 1970s and 1980s. She has studied the history of political art, including the artwork and graphics associated with the

Black Panthers The Black Panther Party (BPP), originally the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, was a Marxist-Leninist and black power political organization founded by college students Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton in October 1966 in Oakland, Calif ...

and the 1970s feminist movement, through her residency at the

Center for the Study of Political Graphics The Center for the Study of Political Graphics (CSPG) is a United States non-profit, educational and research archive that collects, preserves, documents, and circulates domestic and international political posters relating to historical and conte ...

in Los Angeles. Artists that influence Favianna Rodriguez include: Ester Hernandez,

Yolanda Lopez Yolanda may refer to: * Yolanda (name), a given name derived from the Greek ''Iolanthe'' Places * Yolanda, California * Yolanda Shrine, monument located at Barangay Anibong, Tacloban, Leyte Film * ''Yolanda'' (film), a 1924 film starring ...

Rufino Tamayo Rufino del Carmen Arellanes Tamayo (August 25, 1899 – June 24, 1991) was a Mexican painter of Zapotec heritage, born in Oaxaca de Juárez, Mexico.Sullivan, 170-171Ades, 357 Tamayo was active in the mid-20th century in Mexico and New York, ...

, Rupert Garcia,

Romare Bearden Romare Bearden (September 2, 1911 – March 12, 1988) was an American artist, author, and songwriter. He worked with many types of media including cartoons, oils, and collages. Born in Charlotte, North Carolina, Bearden grew up in New York City ...

Pablo Picasso Pablo Ruiz Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist and theatre designer who spent most of his adult life in France. One of the most influential artists of the 20th century, he is ...

Taller de Grafica Popular Taller is a Communes of France, commune in the Landes (department), Landes Departments of France, department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. William II Sánchez of Gascony perpetrated a major defeat of the Vikings at Taller in 982 ...

Ospaaal The Organization of Solidarity of the Peoples of Asia, Africa and Latin America ( es, Organización de Solidaridad de los Pueblos de Asia, África y América Latina), abbreviated as OSPAAAL, was a Cuban political movement with the stated purpose of ...

Wangechi Mutu Wangechi Mutu (born 1972) is a Kenyan-born American visual artist, known primarily for her painting, sculpture, film, and performance work.Frida Kahlo Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderón (; 6 July 1907 – 13 July 1954) was a Mexican painter known for her many portraits, self-portraits, and works inspired by the nature and artifacts of Mexico. Inspired by Culture of Mexico, the country's ...

Swoon (artist) Caledonia Curry (born 1977), whose work appears under the name Swoon, is a contemporary artist who works with printmaking, sculpture, and stop-motion animation to create immersive installations, community-based projects and public artworks. She ...

, and

Malaquias Montoya Malaquias is a given name and surname of Hispanic origin. People with the given name * Malaquías Concha (1859–1921), Chilean writer, lawyer and politician * Malaquías Montoya (born 1938), American born Chicano poster artist People with the s ...

Projects

In 2013, Rodriguez worked with the YouTube channel ''

I Am Other I Am Other (stylized as i am OTHER) is a multi-media creative collective created by Pharrell Williams that serves as an umbrella for all of his endeavors, including Billionaire Boys Club and ICECREAM apparel, textile company Bionic Yarn and a de ...

'' to create ''Migration is Beautiful'', a three-part documentary series that addresses the debate surrounding immigration policy in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

and the perception of immigrants. She is the co-author of ''Reproduce and Revolt'' with

Josh MacPhee Josh MacPhee is an artist, curator, stonemason and activist living in Brooklyn, New York. Career Josh MacPhee's work as a socially-engaged artist and designer focuses on production and distribution of political graphics. Originally from Hollis ...

. Additionally, Rodriguez is a contributor to the

Creative Commons Creative Commons (CC) is an American non-profit organization and international network devoted to educational access and expanding the range of creative works available for others to build upon legally and to share. The organization has releas ...

. Rodriguez is well known for her work through an organization called CultureStrike, to promote and sell her poster work that focuses on themes such as environmentalism, immigration, and feminism. Rodriguez's posters have a distinctive and colorful style that takes inspiration from her Latin-American roots with contemporary context. Her work has been shown all over the US and internationally. One of her current projects is Pussy Power, which seeks to redefine the pussy as a source of empowerment. Rodriguez's most recent project in November 2018, is her work with ice cream company, Ben & Jerry's. Rodriguez designed fantastical and colorful packaging for the limited edition flavor, Pecan Resist, which was created to resist the Trump administration. As part of the project,

Ben & Jerry's Ben & Jerry's Homemade Holdings Inc., trading and commonly known as Ben & Jerry's, is an American company that manufactures ice cream, frozen yogurt, and sorbet. Founded in 1978 in Burlington, Vermont, the company went from a single ice cream ...

is donating $25,000 to Neta, Color of Change, Honor the Earth, and the

Women's March Women's March may refer to: * Women's March on Versailles, a 1789 march in Paris * Women's Sunday, a 1908 suffragette march in London * Woman Suffrage Procession, a 1913 march and rally in Washington, D.C. * Women's March (South Africa), a 1956 m ...

. The design depicts two characters: one is a gender-queer character with their fist up in the air and the other, which holds a sign that reads "resist", is wearing a hijab to pay homage to one of Rodriguez's close friends. The design is vibrant and colorful, and works to empower minorities.

Awards and honors

*2012 Emerging Leader Award, Chicana Latina Foundation, San Francisco, CA *2011 Recipient of the Creative Work Fund Award, San Francisco, CA *2011 Recipient of Innovation Grant, Center for Cultural Innovation, Los Angeles, CA *2010 Inducted into Women's Hall of Fame (Alameda County) in Arts & Culture, Alameda County, CA *2009 Recipient of OPEN Foundation Individual Artist Grant, Oakland, CA *2008 Named one of the countries leading 50 visionaries by UTNE Magazine *2008 Sister of Fire Award, Women of Color Resource Center, Oakland, CA *2007 Recipient of the Belle Foundation Individual Artist Award, San Jose, CA *2005 Art Is A Hammer Award from the Center for the Study of Political Graphics, CA

Exhibitions

United States

Museo del Barrio El Museo del Barrio, often known simply as El Museo (the museum), is a museum at 1230 Fifth Avenue in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is located near the northern end of Fifth Avenue's Museum Mile, immediately north of the Museum of the City ...

(New) *

de Young Museum The de Young Museum, formally the M. H. de Young Memorial Museum, is a fine arts museum located in San Francisco, California. Located in Golden Gate Park, it is a component of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, along with the Legion of Ho ...

(San Francisco) * Mexican Fine Arts Center (Chicago) *

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA) is a multi-disciplinary contemporary arts center in San Francisco, California, United States. Located in Yerba Buena Gardens, YBCA features visual art, performance, and film/video that celebrates local, nati ...

(San Francisco) * Sol Gallery (Providence, RI) * Huntington Museum and Galería Sin Fronteras (Austin, TX) * Multicultural Center at the

University of California, Santa Barbara The University of California, Santa Barbara (UC Santa Barbara or UCSB) is a public land-grant research university in Santa Barbara, California with 23,196 undergraduates and 2,983 graduate students enrolled in 2021–2022. It is part of the ...

(Santa Barbara, California)

Abroad

* the House of Love & Dissent (Rome) * Parco Museum (Tokyo) In addition, her works have been displayed in England, Belgium, and Mexico. She was a 2005

artist-in-residence Artist-in-residence, or artist residencies, encompass a wide spectrum of artistic programs which involve a collaboration between artists and hosting organisations, institutions, or communities. They are programs which provide artists with space a ...

at San Francisco's de Young Museum, a 2007-2008 artist-in-residence at Kala Art Institute, and received a 2006 Sea Change Residency from the Gaea Foundation (Provincetown, MA). Rodriguez is recipient of a 2005 award from the Center for the Study of Political Graphics.

References

External links

Favianna Rodriguez's webpageCulturestrikePresenteFavianna Rodriguez PapersMigration is Beautiful
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rodriguez, Favianna American printmakers 1978 births Living people American women printmakers American feminists Hispanic and Latino American people American LGBT artists American LGBT rights activists LGBT Hispanic and Latino American people LGBT people from California People from Oakland, California American people of Peruvian descent Activists from California Artists from California 21st-century American women artists