TLP: Stephanie, we are thrilled to be collaborating with you on our first exhibition of the season. Tell us a bit about the participating artists and the themes/narratives we can expect to see in ¡Oye! Cuéntame un Cuento.

SR: In Latinx communities there are often no books or images attached to the stories of perseverance and resilience that give us strength. Instead we practice Oral Tradition. The participating artists -Daisy Ruiz, Breena Nuñez, Sharon Lee De La Cruz, and myself - all share personal narratives through the medium of comics, essentially integrating visuals and text. We are continuing the tradition of storytelling passed down by our ancestors, with a twist. Along with other themes, you’ll see comics touching on challenges surrounding sexual orientation, race, and other intersecting identities. 

Daisy Ruiz is a Bronx-bred Illustrator, Founder/Creative Director of award-winning compilation zine Deadass Tho NYC, and one-third of WOC art Collective Spicy Mango Comics. I first discovered Daisy’s work at a comic festival and was drawn to her style which gave me nostalgic Bronx-in-the-90’s vibes. The overall aesthetic is based on her East Coast Chicana upbringing, and everyday NYC/Bronx life. She brings the kitchy vibes of early online blog art with characters decked in street wear reminiscent of the late 90s and early 2000s. In her latest comic, Daisy shares her experience of unwanted body commentary, not fitting into the curvaceous Mestizx-Latina stereotype, and the culture of body objectification. She also touches on generational tensions and facing her religious mother.

Breena Nuñez is an Afro Guatemalan-Salvadoran cartoonist and educator living in San Francisco, CA. Breena creates auto biographical comics focusing on Racial Identity among other topics. Breena’s work is honest - it really captures the mental gymnastics some Latinx go through when being questioned about their ethnicity and/or how they identify. Her work speaks to and about the Afro Latinx communities that have historically been left out of the conversation of Latinidad. Breena has a unique drawing style. You get a sense that she’s been influenced by Charles Schulz (Charlie Brown & the Peanuts gang) when comic relief enters the storyline. 

Sharon Lee De La Cruz is a multi-disciplinary artist and activist from New York City. Her thought-provoking pieces address a range of issues related to tech, social justice, sexuality, and race. I was first introduced to Sharon's work as a graffiti artist and muralist and followed her work into the world of comics. Because Sharon is familiar with a range of materials, you get a sense of freedom and rule-breaking in her comics that is magnetic. You’ll be seeing excerpts from her book I’m a Wild Seed which touches on themes of discovering her queerness and Blackness that I feel is important for people to see in an exhibition setting. Not only to elevate how people view comics, but also to educate.

TLP: As a Comics Artist, can you speak to why you initially proposed this exhibition and the value it poses to the Comics industry?

SR: When I first started selling my self-published comics at comic festivals, I quickly realized that I stuck out like a sore thumb. Not only am I a woman (a minority group in the comics industry) but I’m also Latina which puts me in an even smaller group. For some time I was one of a few POC at comics festivals. Over the years I started to meet more WOC and specifically Latina comic artists. This exhibition gives me the opportunity to share our individual voices and collective presence. We’re all approaching comics in different ways, but the spirit of what we’re creating stems from something we all share, a culture of Oral Tradition.

TLP: Finally, without divulging too much, how will the comics in the show be transformed by this exhibition format? 

SR: I would like the viewer to appreciate the effort that’s put into the creation of a comic. Comic artists not only create images - we also play the role of writer, editor, and storyboarder. You have to be aware of tone, context and timing, illustration, color, text placement and how to compose that with an arrangement of panels on a page. 

What I want the viewer to take away after seeing the exhibition, is that comics are not just a medium relegated to children. Comics are often associated with superhero narratives, but they can do so much more. Comics can be fantastical and have hero’s, while still being rooted in autobiography, truth, and vulnerability.