Portraits
Red Rojas:
“I grew up with prints of Diego Riveras’ “Flower Vendor” on my living room walls. Alcatrazes carved into our wooden tables and chairs, hand painted on our Talavera plates from Quiroga. When I’d visit my Abuela, these flowers would grow in her garden by her front door. My bisabuela, Mamá Cuca was a flower vendor in Michoacán, she harvested White Calla Lilies and carried them on her back to sell and trade. The imagery of this flower is a part of my culture and lineage.
Born and raised in San Antonio, the plant that has gifted our family a warm welcome in settling here has been Chiltepins. When I moved to the Westside, in 2018, the birds and the wind gifted me an abundance of Chiltepins and Estafiate. Supporting digestion, enhancing dreaming, cleansing auras, and healing pain are the medicines this land gifts me.”
