Yashira Davolas
Basqo
Puerto Homogeneo is an exploration into the homogeneity of the Latinx narrative as it is centered in proximity to nationalism and colonialism. The Masc. Colonial photo series by Yashi Davalos, in collaboration with artist Basqo’s mask artistry, explores the colonial exotification of the body in Latin patriarchy as it embodies gender-fluid femininity through the nuclear family narrative. In the Yashi Davalos, Puerto Viejo series, archives of the afro & indigenous life in homogenous positioning explores the intersections of collective culture as it's positioned against nationalist agendas. In the clustered 8% of the Afro-Costa Rican population, on the underdeveloped Caribbean coast, this photography series explores the integrity of developing a tourist city attracting foreigners and digital nomads in a place deemed exotic, where there was historically only black and indigenous life. The juxtapositioning of the Afro-Indigenous identity and the collective Latinx narrative employs the social value of power in femme aesthetic, culture, and mobility through the homogeneous context of latinidad.
Basqo's Instagram
Yashi
Yashira Lopez Davalos (Yashi Davalos) b.1995 is an emerging artist and curator based in New Orleans as a current member of The Front Gallery collective. Her upbringing as an Atlanta native has shaped the way her identity intersects hyper-capitalism, not only in her worldview’s perception of Tokenism but in expressing the many non-monolithic aspects of identity. As an artist she uses photography to explore narrative, challenging the social intersections of the femme aesthetic, class, and stigma, that trivialize mobility and connection. Yashira’s objective as a curator is to capture and research culture, with intersections included because they leave out a lot of stuff when they tell it. Her past curations include Past, Present, and Afro-Futurism also featuring her works at The Front Gallery, and serving as the Gallery Curator for The Front's Donde Se Despierta Mi Risa Latinx Group show. Her art has also been featured at Tulane's Carroll Gallery in New Orleans, In Partnership with Elevate ATL, and Mint Gallery in Atlanta.
Basqo
Basqo is from a rural town in South Carolina and has been living in New Orleans for the past three years. They are of Colombian origin - their parents immigrated to South Carolina over forty years ago. Basqo is self-taught and has been making art for seven years. Their brother was an artist, and he motivated them to take the leap.
Basqo began with drawing, quickly moved to illustration, and then began learning embroidery and large-scale sculpture. After landing in New Orleans, Basqo’s focus and passion quickly turned to masking and costuming, and utilizes both old and new skill sets to build new worlds and shift consensus reality. Material usage consists of both intentionally acquired and recycled/found objects. Their work is a hybrid of soft sculpture, assemblage, costuming, and masking.