Who I am
Davĩd Rios is a Chicano mix-media artist who resonates with the essence of Mexican American identity and acculturation. Rios discovered his passion for glassmaking and the arts during a creative work program with Hilltop Artists in Residence at the age of twelve. A non profit art program supporting diverse at risk youth funded by Dale Chihuly. Experiencing a childhood filled with field trips to Chihuly's boathouse captivated a young Rios with the opulence of glassmaking and its community. Non-profit programming gave Rios a family and a deep appreciation for the arts and their impact on youth. Rios found his life calling in supporting at-risk youth access to the furnace and arts that swept him off his feet as a child. Understanding and believing creative outlets saves lives.
My Journey
The glass community cultivated me at an early age. Glassmaking allowed me to express myself and find beauty within my heritage and traditions.
My work celebrates the Chicano experience. Inspired by ethnic studies and empowered by my Indigenous traditions and history. My work explores the identity of belonging while coexisting in two separate cultures. I often work with themes of Mexican cuisine to resonate and unite the Mexican-American experience. Finding beauty in our shared traditions and culture while addressing issues of colonization, immigration, and indigenous food sovereignty.
I believe many children face belonging disparities because society has fostered a culture of assimilation. My work is dedicated to my niece and nephew in hopes that they and others like them, will find beauty within our traditions and not be absorbed.
In loving memory of Greg Owen
April 7, 1967-October 20, 2020
Values
To inspire a lasting sense of generational creative freedom
aimed to break the systemic creative oppression that has historically restricted our opportunities and prevented us, as minorities and individuals from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, from fully exercising our agency in various creative fields.
““I am Joaquín. The odds are great. But my spirit is strong,
My faith unbreakable. My blood is pure. I am Aztec prince and Christian Christ.
I SHALL ENDURE! I WILL ENDURE!””