Connected Diaspora: U.S. Central American Visuality in the Age of Social Media

This exhibit casts light on a new generation of artists who visually reflect on U.S. Central American lives and experiences in the era of social media. These new voices from the Central American diaspora have built a creative community that transcends state lines and borders.

Their practices range from delicate ceramic sculptures to large scale paintings to digital art--exploring images of displacement, war, and trauma. Contemplations on everyday life, nature, and architecture, coupled with insights on invisibility and empowerment, are all manifested in this visual assembly.

"Connected Diaspora" brings together artists in different stages of their careers. Their work foregrounds an artistically connected diaspora that has leveraged social media to create transnational Central American art, art networks, and communities. Central Americans in the diaspora are a creative force leading the way to a more expansive discourse on Latinx art.

The sixteen artists featured include: Eddy Leonel Aldana, Kimberly Benavides, Erick Antonio Benitez, Jessy DeSantis, Xiomara Garay, Galileo Gonzalez, Celea Guevara, Kim LaVonne, Glenda Lissette, Kiara Machado, Juan Madrid, Julia Mata, Veronica Melendez, Dennissé Carlota Nieto Zelaya, Elizabeth Fernanda Rodriguez, and Johanna Toruño.

"Connected Diaspora" was curated by Veronica Melendez and made possible by support from the Program in Latino/a Studies in the Global South at Duke University.