Meet Our Members
La Loma, Moroleón, Guanajuato
Interdisciplinary Artist ~ Installation, Sculpture, and Performance
Samu Cortez works across a diverse range of mediums to investigate the layered intersections of identity, ritual, and social connection. At the core of their work is a deep commitment to community. Wherever Samu goes, they build connections and share stories to shine some light on the invisible threads that connect us.
Cortez earned an MFA in Sculpture from the Herron School of Art and Design. Their work has been featured in publications such as San Francisco Magazine and Feminine Moments: Queer Feminist Art Worldwide, and exhibited at institutions including Root Division, The Queens Museum, Syracuse University, and Galería de la Raza, among others.
La Excusa, Michoacán, Mexico
Bookbinding, Mixed Media
Ana Bedolla’s work is deeply rooted in her Purépecha heritage ~ a tradition where dreams are honored as sacred sources of guidance and knowledge. As a child, time spent at her grandmother’s home awakened a fascination with insects and their intricate roles within the ecosystem. Through her work, Bedolla merges the surreal landscapes of dreams with the tangible beauty of the natural world, drawing from the concept of biophilia—our innate love for and connection to nature.
Bedolla earned a BFA in Sculpture from the Academy of Art University. Her work has been exhibited locally and internationally, including at SOMArts, Intersection for the Arts, EvolvedSF, Root Division, independent galleries in Guanajuato City, Gto., Mexico, and most recently at Wildflower Residency in Tottori, Japan.
Èkó (so-called Lagos, Nigeria)
Multidisciplinary Artist, Curator and Peoples Scholar
Onyịnye Alheri, or Ọ, experiments across various media, with a special interest in printmaking, experimental video, and sound art, to merge creative and political praxis. Ọ’s creative practice is an exploration of the depths of consciousness and being. Ọ is also engaged in research and knowledge sharing exploring topics like mental health, abolition, harm reduction, and more.
Alheri hosts a monthly radio show on Oroko Radio ~ called nke ọzọ, and has exhibited in several countries, including Ethiopia, Italy, Mexico, Mozambique, South Korea, Zambia, and the United States.
Arizona-California
Interdisciplinary Artist ~ Printmaking, Charcoal Drawings, and Mock Miniatures
Alejandra Pérez has a bad habit of collecting anything she finds worthwhile of praise and preservation ~ like blown-out birthday candles, bird feathers, bits of conversation, and glorified family folklore. She’s a twin and churro enthusiast who splits her time between teaching art to elementary schoolers and her studio practice.
Pérez earned an MAT from the Rhode Island School of Design and has served as a Latine Teaching Artist with arts nonprofit Root Division.
Hidalgo, México
Visual Artist ~ Printmaking and Engraving
Omar Navia Herrera, also known as Mr_Linea, approaches his printmaking and engraving practice from a multidisciplinary perspective.
A graduate of the Autonomous University of the State of Hidalgo, Herrera has received several grants for artistic creation in Mexico and has taken part in residencies specializing in printmaking. Currently he works with the federal program Semilleros Creativos leading community-based art projects.