Sandra Carmona

Wixárika  Artist

Ke’aku (Hi), I am Sandra Carmona and I am of Wixárika descent, Chicana, the daughter of farmworkers, and a muralist for more than 20 years. I come out of the struggle-- brought up in poverty and around gangs--I was blessed to be part of a tightly knit, strong, and colorful barrio that influences my art. My art is the sounds, colors, and smells all found in my community. 
My art is intended to amplify the voices of my people and to showcase our culture, contributions, struggles, and vibrancy. My most recent project titled Maijawee Divine Serpent is inspired by a collective Kumiaii poem written by grandmothers in Baja California Norte, Mexico. The binational and transborder art piece serves as a political statement in solidarity with the Kumeyaay Nation and their struggles over sovereignty on the U.S./Mexico border. Their ancestral lands expands into San Diego County and the Tijuana-Tecate region. 
In my personal time, I founded and led Calpulli Omeyocan, a Mexica/ Native American dance school. Our vision is to present and preserve our Indigenous roots through art form centering music and dance. Calpulli Omeyocan is a fifteen-year (15) year grassroot and a self-sustaining group. In my free time, I volunteer to teach art to Kumiaii and Indigenous youth from Juntas de Neji, Baja California Norte, Mexico. I use art as medicine to heal.