A woman of color navigates through a cluster of twisting cacti, the needles representing the struggles she faces as an impoverished immigrant. She holds a knife, slicing the head off of a snake intertwined amongst her and the cacti. Its gold scales reflect greed and colonialism. Chico Sierra’s painting shows his style of artwork centered around cultural identity, which inspired the “Objects of Connection” exhibition in the Crawford Gallery at East. After advanced art students voted for Sierra out of three potential artists, he now assists in teaching advanced art classes at East, funded by an East Fund grant. “[Art is] a form of communication,” Sierra said. “I think it’s just like the alphabet. I want to communicate [that] you don’t have to be good [at art] for what people perceive as a good artist.” To read more, click the link in bio. #storybygracepei #photobysylviedeglan #socialmediabybellabroce