Weston Takeshi Teruya's print, They Mistook the Determination in our Eyes for Hopelessness, was inspired by and created for the residents of the Figueroa Corridor area of Los Angeles as they struggle for their homes and dignity in the face of gentrification. In conversations with some of the residents, it became clear that there was a great deal of frustration that they live in direct view of the heart of LA's financial district; they felt very marginalized from any decision making processes and power. Teruya felt it very important to feature the residents represented by the woman and her child at the center of the piece; further accentuated by the fish eye - like distortion of perspective. The representations of financial power, depicted by the stamp and men in suits, are marginal and partly obscured. Their clone-like appearance accentuates the other homogenizing effect of gentrification - the displacement of locally owned businesses in favor of corporate mono-culture.

The statement "no hay lucha, no hay victoria" was pulled directly from translated conversations amongst the residents and represents their passion and determination to keep their homes and take back their voices.

Courtesy of Self Help Graphics & Art

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I create paper sculptures & installations that examine the social dynamics, textures, and histories of specific sites and communities. I often utilize elements and materials from social and archival research, performative acts, and geography to look at the stories and forces that have shaped our contemporary landscape and people’s lives. I am most drawn to objects and images that speak to the specificity of place and how issues of equity and justice manifest in the built environment and the stories we tell. Many of my past and larger scale installations utilize paper as a formal material and conceptual platform to explore the building of community narratives, while more recent work looks at how these stories about the past and future of social movements and solidarities can manifest through talismanic objects.

My studio practice, and my interest in bridging communities, is informed by my collaborative and cultural work including through Related Tactics collective–a group of artists of color who create largely text based work and platforms to explore the intersection of race and culture–my podcast (un)making, which centers on interviews with artists & cultural workers of color, and other arts policy and advocacy work I do within specific neighborhoods.