Photo by Riley Ansa
Through painting, photography, interactive community projects, and installation art, visual artist Sol Diaz explores personal narratives, history, and the poetic relationship between nature and man. Guided by this inspiration, and working from their own relationship to colonization as a first-generation queer person, Diaz crafts an animist vision of growth in marginal spaces.
Their approach to art-making is influenced by Rasquachismo, a Chicano art movement that emphasizes resistance and resilience in the face of adversity, as well as Ma, a Japanese concept that refers to the interval or space between things. Their work as a whole stands on its own as a quiet, spiritual, and radical act.
Sol Diaz is a Houston-based visual artist and graduate of the University of Houston - Downtown. They have exhibited their work at notable venues throughout their native city, including Box 13 ArtSpace, HCC's Wedgespace, Houston City Hall with the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, Project Row Houses, and Sawyer Yards. They are the recipient of the Summer Studios Residency with Project Row Houses, The Idea Fund Grant with Diverseworks, and are featured in a collaborative publication by Mujeres Malas and Fifth Wheel Press. They are currently in residency for Lawndale Art Center’s Artist Studio Program
Words
June_23 "The more personal your work is, the more universal it becomes" -Brian Ellison
July_22 Reminding myself to play to my strengths this month & trust that there is still growth in that
February_22 "If you have control over something - why worry about it? If you don't have control over something - why worry about it?" -Bert Long
November_21 "You can tell a lot from a man by how he keeps his truck" -Xaxuum Omer
April_21 Feels like my face occupies extra dimensions
December_20 "Everything, a request for love"
November_20 My hair felt like a sculpture
September_20 "There will never be another me" Neon pop-trunk sign on a Slab
May_20 Transitions take time
June_19 "There is enough for everyone" Mich Stevenson
November_19 "The most romantic thing in the world is effort" - Xio A.k.a. Hyperfemme