Juan Arango Palacios
Region: Midwest
As a queer body raised in a postcolonial context in Colombia, my identity was shaped in the shadows of North American normativity. My sense of self was further confounded by a series of migrations that my family undertook in search of work and a more prosperous future. Moving through varying conservative and homophobic cultures in Louisiana and Texas, I have formed a disembodied identity that is not attached to any specific homeland and has always been challenged by the general norm.
My practice addresses the lived experiences of queer identities that have been marginalized within a diasporic or migratory context. Through the fluid and boundless medium of paint, I represent memories, places, people, and archetypes that I associate with the safety, survival, and endurance of queer bodies in spaces that challenge their existence. Placing emphasis on vibrant color palettes and dynamic compositions, I aim to create images glorifying joy and prosperity in the queer experience.
