Today I am sitting down with Maryland based printmaker, Juan Esparza, who spoke with me about their artistic process, reclaiming Mexican stereotypes, and the struggles of representation and privilege to peruse art. Currently based in Silver Spring Maryland, Juan was born in the city of Aguascalientes and is from the small town of Tepusco, Jalisco. His family emigrated to the United States when he was only three years old. Retrospection is a driving force in his creative process and is inspired by his Mexican American upbringing. Through the use of printmaking and animal symbolism, Juan creates expressions of nostalgia from being raised in a Mexican household and traveling to and from Mexico throughout his life.

View the artwork discussed in this episode: www.aerogramme.org/virtual-viewing-room/identity-and-memoryjuan-esparza.

Image Credit: Juan Esparza

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