Contact Info
email : samanthamariaespinoza@gmail.com
instagram : @xoc.hitl
Her Quick Bio
Samantha Maria Xochitl Espinoza is a Chicana artist coming from a Mexican and Salvadoran family. She grew up in L.A and in Denver, CO and currently resides on Lisjan Ohlone land (Oakland, CA). She references living in between worlds, identities, and homes as a marker of her queer, Chicana experience. Her work reveals her generational and personal history, moments, and traumas as openings for wider conversations on racialized, gendered, and capitalist oppressions. She creates art solely for other brown women to enjoy, and as a gift to her communities in the hopes that they will see parts of themselves reflected or whispered within her work. She is a youth educator, organizer, daughter, sister and falls in love frequently.
Her Formal Artist Statement
Storytelling is one of the ways oppressed, marginalized, and ignored people share their realities. I examine what stories are passed on and the power in recounting one’s narrative through printmaking, textiles, video work, and writing. My own fractured history as a Salvadorena, Mexicana, Chicana-identified person existing in the United States provides the basis of sensitivity in my work. My work takes up space and acts as a form of resistance, similar to that of my brown body. Often, I reference historical trauma, brown queerness, and treatment of brown people in the United States. Our stories serve as evidence of prejudice and empowerment, the passing on of emotions. Through excavating the layers of my own narrative that create my reality, my printwork archives the tender components of coming from a marginalized family, community, and self. My passing of story to you is an act of survival despite violence inflicted on my past lives and the lives of women before me. Witnessing my work, you interact with my past and present families. You are experiencing restricted and oppressed narratives of my own community, as well as the beauty of our collective soul.
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CV
Samantha Maria Xochitl Espinoza
samanthamariaespinoza@gmail.com
samanthamariaespinoza.com
EDUCATION
2020 - Fabrication and Welding Program. Laney College, Oakland, CA. (In progress)
2018 - Bachelors of Fine Arts, Individualized Program, Printmaking and Textiles Concentration. California College of the Arts, Oakland, CA.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2022 (Future) - Solo Exhibition at 2727 California Street
2018 - Manzanilla. Isabelle Percy West Gallery, Oakland, CA.
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2021 - Pop-up for Kadamay, Virtual Fundraiser by Gabriela Oakland.
2020 - Common Field Virtual Conference, Virtual Experience by Common Field.
- It’s A Moment, ProArts Gallery. Oakland, CA.
- Rest is Power. In Collaboration with the Manetti Shrem Museum and UC Davis.
Davis, CA.
2019 - A Reminder for the Black and Brown Body to Dream. CTRL + SHFT
Collective. Oakland, CA.
- Wolfman Monthly Printed Calendars. Wolfman Books. Oakland, CA.
- VisibiliT: Support Trans Women Migrants. Era Art Bar. Oakland, CA.
- En Este Momento. Alchemy Collective. Berkeley, CA.
- Immigration is a Human Right. Station 40. San Francisco, CA.
- Cumbiaton. Galeria de la Raza. San Francisco, CA.
- Queer Ancestors Project. Strut!, San Francisco, CA.
2018 - The Storyteller of the Futures Says “Welcome!”. Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific
FilmArchive. Berkeley, CA.
- PAVE!!! A Group Show of Queer, Trans, and POC Artists and Skateboarders. New
Image, Los Angeles, CA.
- AS BRIGHT AS YELLOW. Deli Gallery, New York, NY.
- The Multivrs is Illuminated. ATA Gallery, San Francisco, CA.
- From Among the Stars: 18th Annual Night of Cultural Resistance. UC Berkeley
Multicultural Center. Oakland, CA.
- First of All... Students of Color Coalition 7th Annual Exhibition. Isabelle Percy West
Gallery, Oakland, CA.
- Ode to the Human Worker. Group exhibition curated by Katie Johnson. Isabelle Percy West Gallery, Oakland, CA.
- Love Show: A Valentine Exhibition. Group exhibition of printwork curated by
Julianne Villegas. Blatner Print Studio, Oakland, CA.
2017 - Rolling Counterpoint Installation, lead artist Taro Hattori. Community Art Project with featured artists. San Francisco, CA.
- Indi●Visible●Lines. Individualized group exhibition, curated by Taro Hattori. College
Avenue Galleries, Oakland, CA.
- Fine Arts Spring Junior Review, Oliver Art Center, California College of the Arts,
Oakland, CA.
2016 - Textales, Narrative Stitches Exhibition at College Avenues Galleries. California
College of the Arts, Oakland, CA.
- RECLAIM: Students of Color Coalition Group Exhibition. Isabella Percy West
Gallery, Oakland, CA.
- Mind Control Art Fair with Nook Gallery. Y2K Gallery. San Francisco, CA.
- Deconstruct the Gaze, curated by Malaya Tuyay. Blattner Print Studios, California
College of the Arts, Oakland, CA.
- Show #1, curated by Nook Gallery in Oakland, CA.
- Our Gallery is Your Living Room, A Community Art Residency. College Avenue
Galleries, Oakland, CA.
2015 - Revisions: 5th Annual Students of Color Coalition Exhibition. College Avenue
Galleries, Oakland, CA.
2014 - First Year Honors Program at California College of the Arts. College Avenue
Galleries, Oakland, CA.
- Crossroads: 4th Annual Students of Color Coalition Exhibition. College Avenue
Galleries, Oakland, CA.
RESIDENCIES
Womens Studio Workshop (March-April 2022) Studio Workspace Residency, Kingston, NY.
The Studio Workspace Residency is an opportunity for artists to create new work and fully immerse themselves in WSW’s supportive environment. WSW invites applications from artists at any stage of their careers. This residency gives artists the gift of time, an uninterrupted period to live and work away from the stresses of daily life. Artists may choose to work in any one or more of our studios: intaglio, letterpress, papermaking, screenprinting, darkroom photography, or ceramics.
2727 California Street (2021, accepted and completed), July 2021-Mid November 2021, Berkeley, CA.
2727 California Street is an interdisciplinary space, open to a broad range of projects that engage the public. Artists are asked to consider how their practice, interests, and proposed project might connect to our location and community in terms of history, natural surroundings, and social context. They aim to support projects that are vital, playful, responsible, and wonderful.
Lazuli Residency (2020, delayed due to COVID with no clear resuming date) - Recipient of Equity Scholarship Corinth, Vermont.
Lazuli Residency takes place on 125 acres of Vermont field and forest, created for artists, musicians, clothiers, writers, carpenters, seamstress and gardeners to spend 2 weeks - 1 month focusing on their art practice during the summer months. Their facilities include a wood shop, ceramics shed, fiber barn and shared indoor and outdoor studio spaces.
American Institute of Thoughts and Feelings (2020, delayed due to COVID with no clear resuming date) - Recipient of Diversity Scholarship, Tucson, Arizona.
The American Institute of Thoughts and Feelings is an artist-run experimental project space that seeks to examine/reflect upon human sentiment through research, inquiry, and community engagement. AITF aims to provide an accessible platform for contemporary art to residents of Tucson and the Sonoran Desert region. The institute consists of a wide gallery and sculpture garden that is of free use to visiting artists.
In Cahoots Residency (2019, declined due to lack of funds), Petaluma, CA.
In Cahoots Residency provides housing and studio space to both emerging and professional artists in a variety of mediums, with a focus on artists books, letterpress, printmaking, writing, and collaboration. The residency hosts from three to five artists at a time in 1-week, 2-week or 4-weeksessions.
KALA Art Institute, Printmaking Artist-in-Residence (Summer of 2018), Berkeley, California. KALA Art Institute provides 3-month long residencies for recent graduates with future promise within printmaking, providing access to intaglio, lithography, screenprinting, book arts, and letterpress equipment.
AWARDS AND GRANTS
2020 - Common Field Convening Presenter. April 2020, part of a presentation titled Care
and Tenderness in Cooperative Cultural Work.
2019 - CTRL+SHFT Curatorial Award. October -September, juried by CTRL+SHFT
Collective.
2017 - Yozo Hamaguchi Printmaking Scholarship juried by Jikae Hara, Jaime Knight, and
invited juror Renee Bott.
- Center for Art and Public Life Micro-Grant, funding Flint to Fruitvale Community
Art Project. Hosted by Carmen Flores Community Center.
2015 - WorldStudio AIGA Scholarships. San Francisco based chapter.
CURATION AND ORGANIZING EXPERIENCE
2020 - It’s A Moment: A Community Exchange. In Collaboration with Ryanaustin Dennis
and McEvoyFoundation for the Arts. ProArts Gallery, Oakland, CA.
2019 - Bay Area Girls Rock Camp Fundraiser. E.M. Wolfman Books. Oakland, CA.
- Mariposa Collective Gathering. E.M Wolfman Books. Oakland, CA.
- Cartero Esperanza. E.M. Wolfman Books. Oakland, CA.
- Supermarket Soapbox Reading. E.M Wolfman Books. Oakland, CA
2018 - Call in and Letter Writing for Cyntoia Brown. E.M. Wolfman Books, Oakland, CA.
- E.M. Wolfman Pop-Up x A Recounting. Guerrero Gallery, San Francisco, CA.
- First of All... SCC’s 7th Annual Exhibition. Curation for Students of Color Coalition.
- Black Panther Viewing at Jack London Theatre. Organizing on behalf of Students of
Color Coalition.
2017 - Organizing of Students of Color Coalition Open Mic at A2 cafe.
- Pop-Up Cultural Center.
- Oakland Spring Craft Fair, co-curated with Michaela Realiza.
- Afro-Comic Con Oakland. Organizing on behalf of Students of Color Coalition.
2016 - Student support for CCA Adjunct Unionization, co-organizing with Jessica
Lawless of SEIU.
- RECLAIM: SCC’s 6th Annual Exhibition. Co-Curation with Courtney Chung and
Nicole Whitner for Students of Color Coalition. Series of events hosted during this
exhibition as follows: Native Hawaiian Entrance Ceremony lead by Courtney Chung
and Fonda Yoshimoto, Lecture with Faith Adiele, Organize This! workshop lead by J
Jessica Lawless, Jayonce: Reading Beyonce and Jay-Z’s Charts lead by Jaliessa
Sipress, Poetry Reading with Tongo Eisen Martin, Musical Performance by Zack Endoso, Adjuncts Unite! event lead by Jessica Lawless, KnowYour Rights Workshop
lead by Aaron Gach, History of CCA Martinez Murals lead by Eduardo Pineda.
Annual Dish Story. Communal potluck and storytelling event for Students of Color Coalition Agency Walk Exercise. Co-lead with Courtney Chung for Students of Color Coalition. Cultural Appropriation Open Forum. Open forum discussion open to CCA Community, co-organized with Courtney Chung.
2015 - Revision: 5th Annual SCC Exhibition. Co-Curation with Grace Chen for Students of
Color Coalition.
- Problematic Fave Workshop. Discussion within Students of Color Coalition.
- Bake Sale funding for Students of Color Coalition.
- Annual Dish Story. Communal potluck and storytelling event for Students of Color
Coalition.
PUBLICATIONS
2019 - Mi Casita Press. Journal. 6.5 x 8 in. journal with original design.
- E.M. Wolfman Books. Monthly Calendars. Risograph monthly prints.
2018 - E.M. Wolfman Books. E.M Wolfman Quarterly Magazine, Issue. 1.
- Sailor Gonzales. No Rompas Mas, Mi Pobre Corazon. Los Angeles based zine.
2015 - Humble Pie. Humble Pie Volume 11. Publication of CCA Artists.
Manos Vacias Mirror
11 x 8.5 inches
Hand-Painted Ceramic mirror, resin encased flowers as charms, bejewled outline.
From left to right reads, “Las manos vacias y el corazon lleno de esperanza.”
Alma & Amor Mirror
8 x 8 inches
Handpainted mirror with goauche, resin charm with encased flower petals.
Araña Mirror9 x 10 inches
Handpainted with acrylic and gouache, resin charms with encased flower petals.
An Insufficient Eulogy
January 2021
Text from left to right, “An Insufficient Eulogy. a story with a clear beginning, no clear end. when one brown soul is the culmination of all before it, life lived in unspoken words and generational experiences. this is for all those who hold their ancestors, loved ones, and distant family close. for all who have had to witness a part of themself die, or kill a part of themself to continue on. i write this in hopes that one day, we may collectively experience the privelege of a peaceful death.”
Bookmark for Bandung Books
June 2021
Risograph, 9 x 2.5 inches
Created for Bandung Books (Eastside Arts Alliance) to embody unity across communities.
it’s been 979 and i am forgetting you (even as i begin this, i am crying deeply)
September 2019
a zine written post almost 3 years of being out of an abusive relationships. 12 pages of risograph prints.
Altar Centerfold
October 2019
Risograph on Creme Cardstock, 8.5 x 11 in.,
Centerfold of a Risograph Zine.
Unhinged
October 2019
Risograph on 8.5 x 11 inch found paper
from left to right reads, “i look into myself and see a deep anger / i have no need to apologize for it / i see her as my tongue unhinged, reclaiming space.”
Ventana del Alma
March 2022
Woodcut, Screenprint, Monotype, and Cyanotype on 8 x 9ft old curtain. Made at Women’s Studio Worksop in NY. Text reads at bottom of tapestry as follows:
“ I wish to see myself and see you: ventanas. To look through and out of the vision into the soul and heart. To witness in all the intimate and vulnerable. In all moments of love, chaos, calmness, mourning. In these glimpses, i see my mother, the past, the unspoken. Ventanas: un espacio en mi alma, para los tiempos y las personas que no estan aqui. I want so deeply to speak to them.”
Rosas
December 2019
Woodcut Relief on Cotton Muslin, 2.5x2.5 ft dyed with Hibiscus Flower
Asking
June 2018
Relief Print on BFK Paper
“How Do I Ask The World To Love Me Properly In Its Chaos”, one linocut print to emerge from the Queer Ancestors Project at SOMArts, San Francisco, CA.
Inside
July 2018
Relief Print on BFK
linocut print from Queer Ancestors Project at SOMArts, San Francisco, CA.
Searching
June 2018
Relief print on BFK
linocut print from Queer Ancestors Project at SOMArts, San Francisco, CA.
anger
2016
letterpress
5 x 4 inches on orange cardstock
dedicated to everyone who extends a helping to appear sincere. to those who give fake comfort only to themselves, we see through you.
El Tamal
2016
etching and aquatint
8 x 11 inches on reeves
My abuelita Lupe Serna’s hands, making tamales for christmas back in 2010. a lineage in maiz.
Abuela’s Kitchen
2016
6 x 10 inches on reeves
other collections from lupe’s dinner table (angel jesus perez calls this my fried chicken print)
Kitchen Space
2016
Etching and aquatint
8 x 11 inches on reeves
missing this table on the corner of Downing St. in Five Points, Denver. My abuela’s house, where food never seemed to run out for me. the little things she would leave out for me.
Concha in the 80’s
2016
etching
8 x 8 inches on reeves
My bisabuela concha posing for a picture.
altar room
october 2019
collaborative altar room with Lukaza Branfmann-Verissimo, Malaya Tuyay, Sequoya Akosua Lee and multiple other guest artists. this altar room is dedicated to our past, present and futures.
quilted letters for my past
october 2019
woodcut relief roses, sewn together to create larger quilt of found, silky fabric. approx 5 ft x 5 ft. framed letters written to my mother, father, abuelito and abuelita with my secret thoughts / things i wish i could fully communicate.
Vestido de mariposas
october 2019
over 600 linocut butterflies on found white silk, silk organza, and various other white fabrics. fits to artist, featured in her video performance “Mariposa.”
collaborative moment
textiles, painting, relief print
october 2019
a collaborative wall space between Lukaza Branfman-Verissimo (painting in upper hand corner), Sequoya Akosua Lee (painting on butterfly print), and Malaya Tuyay (relief-print of body).
Quilt for my Heart
(2018)
20 ft. x 25 ft. on found, patchwork fabric
Reads from left to right: I love my brown body lagrimas dirt alma pain madres kisses my mothers soul the unknown the ones gone too soon all enveloping like dirt water blood my anger is powerful beautiful this is a love letter to you.
Mariposa. Video performance, 2019.
diary entry part i. video experiment, 2016.
first video project interviewing yanira duarte. 2015.
the first song i knew was about me. video experiment, 2017.
first video work with mother and father, UCLA Apartments off of Sepulveda, Age 8
Family Portrait (linework with gold)
11 x 14 in.
Bristol Paper
Family portrait of womxn in my family, gold overlay.
Show Card for Manzanilla
2018
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Family Portrait (full color with gold detail)
10.75 x 14 inches
Bristol Paper
Screenprint of womxn in my family, overlaid with our families origins.
Most recent poster for Students of Color Coalition at CCA
2015
tlatelolco / ayotzinapa
Screeprints on Bristol
15 x 18 inches
(2014)
two violences in parallel with one another
violence enacted on brown, radical minds and bodies
how much farther have we really come when young protestors are still silenced and killed by the same hands?
yanira la virgen
screenprint and monotype
5 x 6 ft.
part of a large scale representation of my family.
Sopa
Monotype on BFK
11 x 13 inches
2017
sopa de letra from the past
possble reasons for swallowing words
Mom’s Cabinet
monotype on BFK
11 x 13 inches
2017
remembering mother’s home in the west side reminiscing on her tools and comparing my empty kitchen blurring parts of her items.
Fragmented
monotype
24 x 28 inches
2016
fragments on memories, puzzle pieces, more stolen photos from dad’s basement photo albums. sometimes i mistake him for my tios and primos but i don’t always know who they are.
Retracing
etchings on BFK and Reeves
9x12 inches
2014
an idea that we may understand the touch of love, reconfiguring and rewiring vision, the thought, of care. how many times and colors and moments will i remember from you?
Within Intimacy
2018
Drawing
“i crave a normalcy within love that i have not touched - to be loved and held and respected for lived experiences. i believe in the accumulation of wishing and wanting throughout generations. my body was never really my own.”
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A letter for the signs
collage and monotype, drawing
2018
A brief letter for all the signs and the significant moments I was able to experience with them.
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Orange Book
4 x 5 inches
2016
a collection of poetry on orange bristol paper, typewritten.
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A space to heal
handmade box with monotype and artist’s items
2017
a box holding family secrets and stories and bits and pieces of what I can remember. filled with letters from dad, copal, pottery from mexico, the bust book, nina simone cd, saturday night fever cassette
agua leche pink
monotype accoridon book
2017
on the first shower i took after getting out of an abusive relationship