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Document Type
Interview
Publication Date
4-28-2025
Keywords
Santa Clara County, Mexican, Painter, Queer, Heritage, Culture, Crafts.
Abstract
This interview with Roxana Romero, a Mexican painter based in San Jose, explores the tension between traditional cultural values and queer identity. Romero's work bridges the gap between solitary self-reflection and public performance. Romero characterizes her aesthetic as "introvert" and "darker," a style influenced by alternative subcultures, which served as her initial forms of rebellion against the heteronormative and gendered expectations of her upbringing. Romero discusses how her Mexican heritage initially hindered her coming-out process due to a lack of representation. Yet, Romero now uses her art to reconnect with that heritage through generational practices like embroidery. Despite finding success with local organizations and studios, Romero notes a significant geographic deficit in Santa Clara County: the lack of "female-focused" creative spaces compared to San Francisco. As part of the Mosaic Atlas project, Mosaic Staff and Volunteers, SJSU students, and faculty from the Anthropology and Film, Theater, and Dance Departments interviewed people who support and produce art throughout the Bay Area.
Recommended Citation
Roxana Romero–Vega and Johnny Santaella. "Mosaic Atlas: Interview with Roxana Romero Vega" Mosaic Atlas Interviews (2025).
Transcript
Network
LGBTQ+ BIPoC Artists
Address
San Jose, Santa Clara County
Neighborhood
Santa Clara County
