Marcelina Gonzales is a resin collage artist born and raised in Brownsville, Texas. In 2013 she received her Bachelors of Art degree from the University of Texas at Brownsville. She uses bright and playful narratives to reconstruct the cloudy and fragmented memories of her time growing up and coming of age along the border while also navigating the complicated path to womanhood.

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The Rio Grande Valley is a unique place for its fusion of Mexican and American culture and traditions. Yet it is often regarded with contempt by outlets that promote its poverty, lack of education, and danger. “Through the telling of stories that are sometimes embarrassing or personally traumatic, I am working to reconcile the shame triggered by the circumstances and external barriers set by my perceived identity, ability, and class while intersected with the sexism, objectification, gender roles, and societal expectations of beauty that already accompany the domain of women.”

 

Gonzales uses personal accounts infused with love and humor to explore the complexities of identity, culture, and womanhood to transform the experiences into messages of celebration and empowerment.

  

Marcelina Gonzales (b.1989, Brownsville, Texas) received a BA from the University of Texas at Brownsville in 2013. Her work has been exhibited at Field Projects, New York (2019); the 6th Annual Artspace III Regional Juried Exhibition, Fort Worth (2019); ONE: Annual Emerging Artist Exhibit, Glen Ellyn, IL (2018); Freight Gallery, San Antonio (2018); 500X Gallery, Dallas (2018); and the 40 under 40 exhibition at Fort Works Art, Fort Worth (2017). In 2020, Gonzales was awarded a grant by the Brownsville Beautification Committee, in partnership with the City of Brownsville, the City of Matamoros, and the Mexican Consulate in Brownsville, to create a mural for Sin Fronteras/Without Borders.