Dalila Paola Méndez

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Dalila Paola Méndez (born 1975), is an American visual artist of Guatemalan/Nicaraguan/Salvadoran descent.

Méndez's work incorporates painting, photography, and film.[1][2] It explores themes of femininity, Latinidad, indigeneity, African diaspora, and queerness..[1][3][2][4]

Background and early life[]

Dalila Paola Méndez was born in Los Angeles, growing up in the Echo Park and Silver Lake neighborhoods.[2][3] As a child, she spent many hours in Los Angeles’ public libraries where she was introduced to different art forms. Méndez credits taking art classes at East Hollywood's Barnsdall Art Park for igniting her love for the arts.[2] Her first medium was photography, using her 35mm camera to explore color and subjects.[2]

Méndez earned her BA in International Relations from the University of Southern California.[2] She worked as a bilingual teacher for the Los Angeles Unified School District, teaching English to children in immigrant communities.[2]  After leaving her teaching job,[2] Méndez co-founded the Chicanx art collective (WIM) with Aurora Guerrero and other Chicanx visual artists in 1999.[4][2][5][1]

Works[]

Paintings[]

  • The Goddess Within (2009). Acrylic on lava rock canvas of a ceiba tree in the shape of a female body. Four female figures, a jaguar and a quetzal surround the ceiba tree presenting offerings.[2]
  • LA Re-Imagined (2010). Acrylic on canvas painting of Los Angeles' landscape. According to Micaela Jamaica Díaz-Sánchez, it blends the city's urban environment with the Salvadoran artisan rural aesthetics.[2]
  • We the Resilient (2020). Mixed media on canvas. A collage celebrating the lives of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Andres Guardado and other victims of criminal violence by police.[6]

Film[]

Dalila Méndez has worked on several films as both production designer and art director.[5][4] Since the early 2000s, Méndez has collaborated with fellow Womyn Image Makers (WIM) filmmakers, like Aurora Guerrero, on several projects.[1][5]

  • Pura Lengua (2005). Set in Los Angeles, the film tells the story of a queer Latina poet's experience navigating violence in her community.[4][1]
  • Viernes Girl (2005). The film explores a week in the life of two Salvadoran siblings.[4]
  • Mosquita y Mari (2012). Set in Hunting Park, the film explores identity, gender, and sexuality through the relationship of two young Chicanx girls.[2]

Further reading[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e Zepeda, Susy J (2014). "Queer Xicana Indígena cultural production: Remembering through oral and visual storytelling". Decolonization: Indigeneity, Education & Society. 3: 119–141 – via Academia.edu.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Díaz-Sánchez, Micaela Jamaica (2017). "RE-MAPPING QUEER DESIRE(S) ON GREATER LOS ANGELES: The Decolonial Topographies of Aurora Guerrero and Dalila Paola Méndez" (PDF). . 17: 94–117 – via This Bridge Called Cyberspace.
  3. ^ a b Arias, Arturo (2012). "EpiCentro: The Emergence of a New Central-American American Literature". Comparative Literature. 64: 300–315 – via Academia.edu.
  4. ^ a b c d e Alvarez, Sandra; Zepeda, Susan (2006). "Interview with Womyn Image Makers: A Colectiva of Queer Indígena Visionaries" (PDF). Spectator: USC Journal of Film and Television Criticism. 26: 127–134 – via USC Cinema.
  5. ^ a b c Munroe, Roberta (2014). How Not to Make a Short Film: Secrets from a Sundance Programmer. New York: Hachette Books. pp. 113–114.
  6. ^ "The Very Very Very Long Day" (PDF). Self Help Graphics & Art. 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-11-15.

External links[]

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