Josué Vásquez

Josué Danield Vásquez is a 23-year-old, Mén Diiste (Zapotec) artist residing on Chumash Lands. His work ranges from intimate compositions that explore cultural identity, to statement pieces that speak to the experience of the indigenous migrant communities residing across the Central Coast. Vásquez’s artwork explores the intersectionality of their identity through different compositions, drawing inspiration from cultural imagery and nature.

IVDM is excited to have Vásquez’s Cycles of Existential Rhythm, on display as part of Native Voices | Native Truths: A Contemporary Experience.

Cycles of Existential Rhythm, 2023

acrylic on handmade wood frame

15 in diameter

Cycles of Existential Rhythm, composed of different cultural iconography, speaks to a reflection of identity, spirituality, and birth. Notable visuals include a child jaguar warrior beating a drum, which takes inspiration from the jaguar masks of La Danza de los Tlacololeros. Additionally, it features a frame, a dark brown-bark monochromatic cycle that depicts the cycle of awakening in three stages, which took inspiration from the geometric patterns of Mitla, located in las Valles Centrales.