Emilio Sanchez, Cañaverales, 1956, color lithograph on wove paper, Gift of Jacob Kainen, 2002.98.239

Latinx Art and Artists

Discover works by Latinx artists from across the United States. Explore their processes, ideas, and stories. Browse events highlighting their voices and perspectives.

Selected works

Cañaverales

Emilio Sanchez 1956

Emilio Sanchez, Cañaverales, 1956, color lithograph on wove paper, Gift of Jacob Kainen, 2002.98.239

More details about Cañaverales

Katrina Boat

Luis Cruz Azaceta 2007

Luis Cruz Azaceta, Katrina Boat, 2007, mixed media construction on wood boat, Gift of the Artist, 2024.30.1

More details about Katrina Boat

This is a wall display featuring 15 black-framed images set on a beige background in three horizontal rows of five. The details of the images are hard to discern as they are viewed from a distance. Some are in black and white, while others have a sepia or yellowish tint. Some of them appear to be postcards. Some identifiable objects include trees and tree branches, large gatherings of crowds, and figures on horseback. — Erased Lynchings V

Ken Gonzales-Day 2023

Ken Gonzales-Day, Erased Lynchings V, 2023, 15 inkjet prints, Gift of the Collectors Committee, 2024.28.2.a-o

More details about Erased Lynchings V

This appears to be a painting surrounded by an intricate custom frame. The central painting features a hilly green landscape under a blue sky filled with different creatures and objects. In the center, a person wearing a fuzzy pink cloak and wearing a purple face mask appears to hold a musical triangle in one hand and a small wand or rod in the other. This person faces the left, and they have pale skin and brown hair tied into a thick bun behind their head. Below the triangle, facing us, seems to be a small robot, decorated in shades of red, white, blue, and black. A long snake emerges from below one foot of the robot. The snake is covered in red, black, and yellow stripes, and it winds down towards the bottom right corner, where a gray statue sits. There is a green parrot on top of the statue, and a small green figurine or doll stands by the bottom of the statue. In the bottom left corner are two wolves or dogs, one white and one gray. In the top left corner, a small light-brown creature that looks vaguely like a monkey sits in a hammock, and in the top right corner a colorful parrot sits in another hammock. In the background there are two white structures that look like goals. The bottom of the painting is filled with many lines of text against a white background, with blue wave shapes below them. Surrounding this painting is an elaborate, intricate frame composed of organic, root-like structures extending outward. These appendages are off-white with blackened tips, creating a dynamic web effect. Below the painting, a colorful snake slithers across the frame, and there are some small shells woven into the fibers. — January 1984 Retablo

Guadalupe Maravilla 2022

Guadalupe Maravilla, January 1984 Retablo, 2022, oil on tin (painting by Daniel Vilchis), cotton and glue mixture on wood, Gift of Funds from The Ahmanson Foundation, 2024.22.1

More details about January 1984 Retablo

Castizo no. 2 from La Raza Cósmica 20XX

Michael Menchaca Julia Samuels Overpass Projects 2019

Michael Menchaca, Julia Samuels, Overpass Projects, Castizo no. 2 from La Raza Cósmica 20XX, 2019, one from a series of 16 color screenprints on wove Stonehenge Pearl Gray paper in screenprinted artist's frame, Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund, 2024.29.1.2.a-b

More details about Castizo no. 2 from La Raza Cósmica 20XX

This photograph shows an upside-down city skyline stretching horizontally across the middle of the image. Buildings appear to hang from a blank gray expanse, while a blue sky is below them, full of streaky white clouds and yellow rays of light. This image of the city appears to be painted or projected onto a white wall. There is an outlet towards the bottom of the wall, and a smoke detector or similar alarm in the top right corner. A door is visible on the right side of the wall, and warm orange light leaks into the scene from the spaces between the door and the wall. Below the wall is a brown wooden floor. — Camera Obscura: View of Lower Manhattan, Sunrise

Abelardo Morell 2022

Abelardo Morell, Camera Obscura: View of Lower Manhattan, Sunrise, 2022, inkjet print, Gift of Abelardo Morell, 2024.35.5

More details about Camera Obscura: View of Lower Manhattan, Sunrise

This is a photograph of a playground climbing structure. It features a wooden arch with metal rungs, likely part of a playground climbing frame outdoors. The image exhibits a double exposure effect, and the background includes leafy trees and possibly a fence. The surface beneath is sandy, typical of children's play areas. The structural lines of the climbing frame lead the eye upwards, while the overlay of multiple images adds a sense of movement. — Timing is Everything

Sophie Rivera 1995

Sophie Rivera, Timing is Everything, 1995, gelatin silver print, Alfred H. Moses and Fern M. Schad Fund, 2024.8.3

More details about Timing is Everything

This is a photograph of a street scene with chalk games drawn on the asphalt. The image captures a moment in an urban environment, where various squares with numbers are drawn in white chalk on the street. The background features brick buildings with stairs leading up to the doors and windows, some of which have air conditioning units. On the street, classic cars are parked along the sidewalk. A person is nearby engaging with the chalk drawings, and another person is seen wearing striped shorts and a patterned hat. A few others are gathered around, suggesting activity and interaction taking place around the chalked squares. — Skelly Street Game, Spanish Harlem, New York

Joseph Rodríguez 1987

Joseph Rodríguez, Skelly Street Game, Spanish Harlem, New York, 1987, chromogenic print, Charina Endowment Fund in memory of Robert B. Menschel, 2023.167.3

More details about Skelly Street Game, Spanish Harlem, New York

This painting displays geometric shapes and lines in an abstract composition. Rectangles, triangles, half circles, and diamond shapes all fit together in shades of orange, yellow, blue, green, red, white, pink, and brown. Some of the shapes have bold black outlines. The arrangement resembles a mosaic or a patchwork quilt. — Luciérnaga (Firefly)

Rafael Soriano 1955

Rafael Soriano, Luciérnaga (Firefly), 1955, oil on canvas, Pepita Milmore Memorial Fund and Gift of the Rafael Soriano Family Collection, 2024.32.1

More details about Luciérnaga (Firefly)

The painted collage shows a large blue butterfly set against a background of layered text and newspaper clippings. The butterfly's vibrant blue wings are crossed with thin black lines, and the bottom of the wings are red, as if they have been dipped in red paint. Below the newspaper is a strip of black paint with a cut-out image in the center that may display a landscape, surrounded by painted yellow lines like the rays of the sun. Across the newsprint and the black strip, the word 'Paraiso' has been written repeatedly in light blue. Below the black strip at the bottom of the page is a strip of light blue with eight handprints across it in a horizontal line. Seven of the handprints are bright red, while the one to the left of center is white. Additionally, there are small, round areas of dripping red paint on the newsprint around the butterfly, evoking bleeding bullet holes. — Paradise for a Tourist Brochure

Freddy Rodríguez 1990

Freddy Rodríguez, Paradise for a Tourist Brochure, 1990, acrylic, sawdust, and newspaper collage on canvas, Gift of Funds from The Ahmanson Foundation, and Patrons' Permanent Fund, 2022.45.1

More details about Paradise for a Tourist Brochure

This painting shows two large, bright green triangles at the top and bottom edges of the canvas, their points meeting in the center, creating an hourglass shape. Surrounding the triangles is empty white space. — Untitled

Carmen Herrera 2013

Carmen Herrera, Untitled, 2013, acrylic on canvas, Gift of Funds from Glenstone Foundation and David M. Rubenstein, 2022.18.1

More details about Untitled

The sculpture is an assemblage of various materials and objects combined to create a striking, anthropomorphic figure. The central part of the sculpture is a stack of what appear to be buckets, surrounded by two vertical lines decorated with geometric cut-outs in a mix of colors including red, brown, black, and beige. At the top, three horn-like protrusions extend from either side and from the top of the structure, and a circular object resembling a drum or shield is held where a face would be by a dark glove connected to a metal rod. Draped fabrics in zigzag and polka-dot patterns drape over the top and cascade down the structure. The base includes cushioned pieces, tubes of fabric, and what appears to be a boot or shoe. — Figura de Poder (Power Figure)

Daniel Lind-Ramos 2016-2020

Daniel Lind-Ramos, Figura de Poder (Power Figure), 2016-2020, mirrors, concrete blocks, cement bag, sledgehammer, construction stones bag, paint bucket, wood panels, palm tree trunk, burlap, leather, ropes, sequin, awning, plastic ropes, fabric, trumpet, pins, duct tape, maracas, sneaker, tambourine, working gloves, boxing gloves, acrylic, New Century Fund, 2022.6.1

More details about Figura de Poder (Power Figure)

This photograph depicts the upper body of a person, their elbows bent and resting on a flat surface in front of them, their hands together. The person has light brown skin, large eyes, and a straight nose. Their face is painted with symmetrical white dots across their nose, cheekbones, and cheeks, with heavy black eyeliner, blue eyeshadow, and shimmering blue pigment on their neck and hands. They are adorned with lots of jewelry, including necklaces and bracelets made of small shells in white, blue, brown, and iridescent shades, strands of pearls around their wrists and hands, silver armbands with small chains and feather-like shapes, reflective silver rings, large white round earrings, two silver nose rings, and a headdress adored with silver beads and white shells. Their black hair is styled elaborately, with a large ball on the top of their head that shows hints of a woven blue and gold net. On either side of their head are two sections of hair pointing straight outward, like the sides of a large bow. Braids extend outward from these bow-like shapes, all adorned with small silver bands. The person wears a vibrant purple and white geometric-patterned garment with the motifs of birds and plants in green, blue, pink, and red. The wall behind them and the surface they lean on are both bright turquoise, and the photograph is surrounded with a patterned, ornate frame carved with floral shapes and circles and painted in shades of orange, red, blue, teal, and white. — Demons, Yemaya "Goddess of the Living Ocean"

Martine Gutierrez 2018

Martine Gutierrez, Demons, Yemaya "Goddess of the Living Ocean", 2018, chromogenic print in hand-painted artist’s frame, Pepita Milmore Memorial Fund, 2022.180.3

More details about Demons, Yemaya "Goddess of the Living Ocean"

This is a tall, abstract and geometric sculpture with a sharp, angular bend near the bottom. It looks like a thin rectangular shape with some triangular chunks removed from it. The sculpture is made of a weathered reddish-brown material with some areas of darker brown discoloration, and it appears to have a matte finish. The sculpture is standing on a grassy landscape surrounded by trees against a clear blue sky. — America

Alfredo Halegua 1970

Alfredo Halegua, America, 1970, cor-ten steel, Donated in memory of Andre Lovell Roberts, 1894-1971, 1977.28.1

More details about America

We look down onto a tidy stack of hundreds of sheets of white paper, which sits on a gray, speckled floor in this photograph. The top sheet is printed with a small, dove-gray rectangle at the center. A corner of the stack angles toward us, with the short side of the sheets to our left and the long side to our right. — "Untitled" (Ross in L.A.)

Felix Gonzalez-Torres 1991

Felix Gonzalez-Torres, "Untitled" (Ross in L.A.), 1991, print on paper, endless copies, Gift of the Collectors Committee and Emily and Mitchell Rales, 2017.51.1

More details about "Untitled" (Ross in L.A.)

The sculpture depicts an abstract form resembling a giant thumb or a partially exposed elongated form emerging from the flat surface. The sculpture is a light brown color and appears partially buried in the ground. It has a textured surface and seems to be protruding at an angle. A dark shadow is cast on one side. The surroundings are sandy and uneven, enhancing the rugged and natural context of the sculpture. — Untitled

Ana Mendieta 1978

Ana Mendieta, Untitled, 1978, chromogenic print, Gift of the Collectors Committee, 2007.2.1

More details about Untitled

The image displays bold, abstract shapes forming a large skull against a gray background. Above the skull, there is a colorful, abstract representation of a figure with a black hat, green clothing, and a red face obscured by a yellow handprint. — Calavera Crystal Ball

Rupert García 1992

Rupert García, Calavera Crystal Ball, 1992, color screenprint on wove paper, Corcoran Collection (Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Gerald D. Kohs), 2015.19.3209

More details about Calavera Crystal Ball

This is a painting of abstract, horizontal, vaguely human figures within a series of clear rectangular sections against a light teal background. Thin white lines give the appearance of three rectangular containers stacked atop one another, each with a human-like figure laying horizontally in it. The figures are indistinct and made up of horizontal shapes in a light tan color, with areas of dark brown on the left side of each figure that suggest dark hair. The teal background is visible through the clear containers. The brushstrokes are thick and visible, and the different areas of color blur and overlap in places. — Three Figures

Dino Aranda 1968

Dino Aranda, Three Figures, 1968, acrylic on canvas, Gift of Werth V. Zuver, 2019.101.1

More details about Three Figures

Self-Portrait

Mauricio Lasansky 1957

Mauricio Lasansky, Self-Portrait, 1957, color intaglio print on wove paper, Gift of John and Mary Pappajohn, 1999.85.1

More details about Self-Portrait

The image displays an abstract arrangement of shapes and lines. A large golden "NOWHERE" is surrounded by human figures, some of which seem submerged or intertwined. The collage includes various recognizable forms like a knight's armored hand, faces with flower motifs, and a small boat resembling a toy float. At the top, the words "THE NEAR DISTANT" are printed in a bold, reversed orientation. — Untitled (The Near Distant Jungle)

Enrique Chagoya Segura Arts Studio Segura Arts Studio 2014

Enrique Chagoya, Segura Arts Studio, Segura Arts Studio, Untitled (The Near Distant Jungle), 2014, etching and aquatint on wove paper, Gift of Christopher and Beverly With in memory of Karl and Gerda With, 2022.155.3

More details about Untitled (The Near Distant Jungle)

Stories

This is a painting of a ceremonial procession passing through a tan wall with three large archways decorated with vibrant red-and-blue flags. Through the large, central archway, a group of men on horseback process toward us, the men wearing hats and uniforms in shades of green, gray, and blue. At the front of the group is a man with brown skin and a gray beard, wearing a red-and-blue sash over a green jacket and a black hat with a white plume. A well-dressed crowd is gathered around the procession, wearing colorful dresses and suits in shades of pink, teal, blue, and purple. They look towards the figures on horseback, and many of them clap. Among the people in the crowd and those on horseback, there is a wide variety of skin tones, including dark brown, light brown, tan, and pale pink. Beyond the arched openings, a long road lined with small, colorful buildings in shades of pink, yellow, and brown is visible under a blue sky.

Article

Article: 10 Haitian Artists to Know

Meet the country’s leading painters who developed their own style of modern art.

In this black-and-white photograph, five children sit closely together on a couch, reading different comic books and magazines. The comic books obscure the faces of the five children, and they appear absorbed in their reading. A sixth child who appears to be a young boy sits on the ground in front of the couch next to a coffee table piled high with dirty dishes and more comic books. His face is partially visible; he has light skin and dark hair, and he looks over his shoulder to the right. The children wear a variety of clothing with different patterns, including long-sleeved shirts, dresses, belts, and long pants. The wall behind the couch is light gray, with the edge of a framed photo visible at the top.

Article

Article: 12 Documentary Photographers Who Changed the Way We See the World

Photographers of the 1970s revolutionized the medium through innovations of both style and subject.

Article

Article: 9 Latinx Artists You May Not Have Heard Of

Learn about the lives and works of artists of Latin American descent working in the United States from the 1930s to today.

Article

Article: Art that Represents, and Misrepresents, the US-Mexico Border

How contemporary artists working in El Paso and Juárez counter mainstream narratives of the region.

This is a black-and-white photograph of a rocky landscape with a patch of scrubland stretching out into the distance. Closest to us, on the left side, a tall rocky mountain rises up. Standing on the rocks is a woman with her back to us. She has long, dark, straight hair that falls down her back, and she is wearing a dark, long-sleeved shirt and a wide white skirt. In her left hand, she appears to hold a rope, or perhaps her hand is tangled in her long hair. In her right hand, she holds a large square object with a handle that looks like a radio or similar device. She stands behind tall, dark gray leafy plants. On the right, the background reveals a vast open terrain dotted with small shrubs under a light gray sky.

Article

Article: Artists Who Expand Views of the Southwest

You may know Georgia O’Keeffe, but have you heard of Tonita Peña? Learn about the many artists inspired by the Southwest.

Article

Article: Bianca Nemelc Paints the Spiritual Bonds Between Womanhood and Nature

The New York–based Latina artist finds deep connections between rest, nature, and womanhood in her vibrant paintings.

Video

Video: Daniel Lind-Ramos on Art, Solidarity, and Community

From his construction process to the mysticism of vejigantes, Lind-Ramos guides us through his upbringing in Loíza, Puerto Rico, and the myriad of inspirations for his art.

Article

Article: Freddy Rodríguez’s Quest to Express Dominican History in Art

Over 50 years and across many styles and mediums, the artist probed his roots.

Article

Article: How Photographer Christina Fernandez Makes Invisible Labor Visible

See her photograph's ties to Edward Hopper and Dorothea Lange.

Video

Video: María Magdalena Campos-Pons’s "When We Gather"

Join María Magdalena Campos-Pons and her gathering of women artists as they celebrate the roles women have played in the progress of the United States and perform a “cleansing gesture” for future generations.

Video

Video: Mario García Torres’s “Today (News from Kabul)”

Mario García Torres explores the war in Afghanistan through art, struggling to come to terms with violence there and at his home in Mexico through his artwork, Today (News from Kabul).

Article

Article: Miguel Luciano’s Portrait of a Puerto Rico in Crisis

The artist confronts us with the contemporary Puerto Rican experience.

Video

Video: Take Felix Gonzalez-Torres's “Untitled” With You

Filmed over the course of a month, watch visitors interact with Felix Gonzalez-Torres's Untitled at the National Gallery of Art.

Video

Video: Teresita Fernández’s Stacked Landscapes

Teresita Fernández invited us to be the first to film her renovated Brooklyn studio and the installation of Paradise Parados, her site-specific, monumental sculpture at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

A woman with white grey hair and black glasses stands with her hands clasped at her waist. She is shown from the waist up. Behind her is a bright green wall, with a black and white photograph of a woman to the left. On her right is a metal table of various scientific tools and other small objects.

Article

Article: The Collective Memory of Amalia Mesa-Bains

Through her evocative installations, the pioneering Chicana artist seeks to connect the past with the present.

Video

Video: Unveiling Daniel Lind-Ramos's Symbols of Power

Artist Daniel Lind-Ramos builds his sculpture Figura de Poder, a towering and provocative work that conjures up the spirit of the vejigante with mysticism, music, and activism.