Centering Black Women, Challenging Latinidad: Harmonia Rosales' Black Decolonial Aesthetics and AfroARTivism

Centering Black Women, Challenging Latinidad:Harmonia Rosales' Black Decolonial Aesthetics and AfroARTivism Rosita Scerbo Afro-diasporic artists have always created historically valuable art pieces that became graphic and symbolic testimonies of their history, traditions, and struggles. Afrodescendant visual culture represents a privileged space where black artists, and particularly black women, can renegotiate their identities and give form to their agency. In the Latin American and Caribbean context, the effects of conquest and colonization have played an especially significant role in shaping social and cultural histories and identity representations. In the world of art, there are few artists as innovative and thought-provoking as Afro-Cuban female artist Harmonia Rosales. Her work resists societal norms and highlights the struggles of marginalized communities, all while exploring the complex nuances of identity and representation. Through her vibrant and dynamic paintings, Rosales has become a force to be reckoned with in the contemporary art world, carving out a space for underrepresented voices and making a bold statement about the importance of diversity and inclusion. In this essay, we will explore the captivating and dynamic art of Harmonia Rosales, delving into her inspirations, techniques, and impact on the art world. From her stunning portraits to her powerful reinterpretations of classic works of art, we will take a closer look at the unique perspective and artistic vision of this groundbreaking artist. This visual artist based in Chicago reimagines classic works with black femininity and deconstructs traditional ways of thought. Through an analysis of three of her paintings, this essay attempts to answer the following research questions: How are Harmonia Rosales's visual art expressions effective tools in working as a medium to advocate for social justice or bring social justice issues to the attention of communities inside and outside her own? Can we conceive her visual art as part of the legacy of Afro-Latina activism and freedom-making and decolonial feminist practices? When analyzing Afro-Latina's art productions, it is essential to dialogue with Afro-Latina scholars, theorists, and activists who have shaped the modern and contemporary post-colonial theory and theoretical perspectives on race, class, and gender. Therefore, my theoretical approach aims to put at the center the work of Black Latina intellectuals, professors, and human rights activists who often go unrecognized in the academic world. End Page 2 Black Latina's art is then analyzed here through the lenses of Black Latina scholars such as Ochy Curiel, Caridad Souza, Karina L. Cespedes, among others. In the context of the afterlife of slavery (Hartman 2008), Afro-Latina epistemologies and cultural productions, negotiate their space and sense of belonging amidst the ramifications of the Spanish colonial caste system, centuries of enslavement, and the consequences of the whitening period in Latin America and the Caribbean. As Souza and Cespedes point out, Afro-Latinas "experience constant diaspora, the persistence of not belonging, of being ni de aquí, ni de allá as well as being unclaimed and unrecognized" (32). Afro-Latina scholars Souza and Cespedes introduced the theoretical term Afro-Latinx decolonial feminism, putting emphasis on the fact that this approach sits adjacent but, in its form, independent from both Chicana and Black feminism (26). These three feminist approaches share a common goal of addressing the ways in which gender, race, and class intersect and impact the lives of women of color. However, there are some important differences in their perspectives. Afro-Latinx feminism recognizes the particular experiences of Afro-Latinas, who occupy a unique space in the intersections of race, ethnicity, and gender. Afro-Latinas are often marginalized within both the Black and Latinx communities, and their experiences are often overlooked in feminist and racial justice movements. As a result, Afro-Latinx feminism centers the experiences of Black women from Latin America and the Caribbean and recognizes the importance of intersectional analyses that account for both race and ethnicity. Chicana feminism emerged from the experiences of Mexican-American women in the United States and often centers on issues related to immigration, language, and cultural identity. Chicana feminism also has a strong emphasis on collective struggle and community organizing. As Souza and Cespedes point out, "while much of Afro-Latina/x feminist scholarship recognizes the constant state...