In 2015, artist Guadalupe Rosales created the Instagram account @veteranas_and_rucas to showcase her personal archive documenting Chicana life in Southern California during the 1990s. Over the years, this platform has blossomed into a vibrant community with over 273,000 followers, sharing thousands of images that counter negative stereotypes of Latinx culture prevalent in mainstream media.
As her online presence grew, so did Rosales's artistic expression. Her work now encompasses a diverse range of mediums, including stunning photographs of lowriders framed in metal-engraved designs, murals inspired by lowrider culture, and installations that draw from her expanding archive.
Rosales's contributions to the art world have been recognized through her participation in significant exhibitions, including the 2022 Whitney Biennial and the 2023 Made in L.A. biennial at the Hammer Museum. This September, she will release her memoir, East of the River, ahead of her much-anticipated exhibition at the 2026 Venice Biennale, curated by the late Koyo Kouoh.
In an interview, Rosales shared insights into her journey and the importance of her work. She described how her invitation to the Biennale stemmed from a remote studio visit with the Biennale team, following Kouoh's passing. Rosales expressed her commitment to honoring Kouoh's vision, focusing on artists who engage with community and explore themes of joy and grief.
Rosales elaborated on her evolving relationship with archives, viewing them not merely as collections of documents but as vessels of energy and memory. Her work reflects a blend of celebration and acknowledgment of loss, emphasizing the importance of storytelling in the Latinx experience.
As her project "Veteranas and Rucas" expanded beyond the 1990s to include submissions from earlier decades, Rosales recognized the recurring themes of love and injustice throughout history. This realization inspired her to create a broader dialogue about the Latinx experience, encouraging conversations that transcend time and fashion.
For the Venice Biennale, Rosales is developing a new "Portal" installation resembling a skeletal home structure, alongside photographs that capture the intricate details of lowriders, bridging different periods of her artistic journey. She reflected on the surreal nature of showcasing her work in such a prestigious venue, emphasizing the significance of representing East LA's Brown community on an international stage.
Rosales also discussed the evolution of social media and its impact on her project. While acknowledging the changing landscape of platforms like Instagram, she expressed hope that her work would inspire a return to physical storytelling, culminating in her upcoming memoir.
In a time of political uncertainty, Rosales's work serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of sharing diverse narratives. She believes that her archive invites others to find their voices and continue advocating for their stories, reinforcing the universal nature of these experiences.