I am a nomadic artist who journeys through the Americas, creating rasquache art and high art, speaking Español, English and Spanglish. Occasionally, I feel I have a static sense of identity and sometimes I have an inventory of multiple identities. I fit in here and there but No soy ni de aquí ni de allá. I am one, in two worlds.

The move from a rural town in México to a major metropolis in the United States had a tremendous impact on my life. At first, art was merely a way of coping with the transition but later, due to my limited English, art became my tool for self-expression. In my work I document this journey of adapting to living in the United States, all while looking back at what I left behind in México.

The challenge of being bicultural and bilingual is that I live concurrently in two different worlds. I have learned to adapt to live in these two worlds, but adapting involves expanding and losing part of who I am, so I often find myself in the middle of these two territories. Everywhere I live, I am a foreigner.

The content of mywork is socio-political and is driven by my life experiences. In my work I explore the themes of colonization, migration (voluntary or involuntary), “the other,” stereotypes and cultural appropriation. I take an interdisciplinary approach with my work by choosing the media that will best fit the idea I am trying to convey. As an artist I feel I have the responsibility to address the issues that affect my community, create awareness and propose actions through my art.

http://www.salvadorjimenezflores.com/i-am-not-who-you-think-i-am/