Hi all! Here is another beautiful piece by Noe Pina depicting the emotional effects of oppression. A lot of the time we cannot see how much oppression takes a toll on us and on those that are effected by it every day. This painting can help us put this into perspective by giving us an image of how debilitating the structures of oppression really are.

Some questions are arising for me are “how can we use art to help open up the tough conversations about oppression?” “what questions do we need to be asking one another when talking about oppression in our lives?” and “What can we do when faced with these strong emotions of vulnerability when thinking about oppression in our own lives and in our society?”

Most times we do not want to bring the topic of oppression up when we experience it or see it happening because we are afraid of disrupting the status quo or making ourselves and others feel uncomfortable. But it is exactly in these uncomfortable times when we can break open and let change happen. This is where true growth lives; in the uncomfortable times of uncertainty. Art can help lead us there. Thank you so much Noe for submitting your work and engaging in this process.

Here is a bit about Noe and his project:

Noe Pina, Noē Piña, was born in Los Angeles, CA as a first generation American. He grew up traveling throughout Mexico and in those travels visiting museums, galleries, and cultural institutes. He studied at Instituto Cultural Cabañas in Guadalajara Mexico. In Los Angeles, he studied at The Los Angeles Music & Art School, Plaza de La Raza, and Otis College of Art and Design, where he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts. He helped establish the arts program at Oxford International School. Later he taught art to inner-city students at Soledad Enrichment Action Inc., a non-profit organization founded in 1972 by mothers in East LA who had lost their sons to gang violence. He taught Art and Language Arts as part of The J. Paul Getty Museum: Art & Language Program at P.U.E.N.T.E. Learning Center in Boyle Heights. He owns a vintage store where he gathers some of his inspiration and items for his recent exploration in assemblage art.

“The painting that I submitted is where the figure expresses a feeling of being crushed, defeated, vulnerable, restrained, and censored. Emotions that accompany oppression. I hope that my visual representation of oppressed individuals can be used to illustrate the subject at hand, alongside the blog or text.”