Cuevas (he/they/she) is a multidisciplinary, Latinx SoCal artist whose work explores the fluidity that is found in the queer, femme, and non-binary experience. The artist primarily uses fiber, a malleable material, to open dialogue between the viewer and the subconscious. Cuevas frequently abstracts from themes of gender, anatomy, and queer history, placing these snippets into spaces outside of our mind’s eye.
Cuevas not only masters the woven techniques but elevates the history of this medium itself with their contemporary compositions and Latinx coded mensajes.
Writer’s Commentary
Fiber-textile art is known to be a rather traditional form of art and because of its delicate “feminine” nature. However, it is one of the most tedious and meticulous mediums that follows a blueprint of desired patterns. Cuevas not only masters the woven techniques but elevates the history of this medium itself with their contemporary compositions and Latinx coded mensajes (translation: messages).
What makes an installation piece more impactful is the amount of audience engagement that occurs when experiencing the work, this could be physical and or evoking metacognitive thoughts. Cuevas achieves that by electing for concepts that call for both of these engagements, as seen in their installation, “Non-Binary Code”, 2023 shown at Studio 203 in Los Angeles, California.
Ben Cuevas has exhibited internationally, lectured at several universities, and is affiliated with design & art collectives.
If you’d like to explore more of Cueva’s work: Check out their Instagram or on their website.
Disclaimer: All images are from the artist’s website and are the creative property of the photographers who respectively took them.
Latinx Arts 