Storytelling and art are two central elements to the creation of identity expression. In this way, we become participants in the art of passing down traditions and narratives. In this process artists create their own narratives about the identities and cultures that shape them, trusting their audience to celebrate and embrace their journey and story. 

       Storytelling is often described as a method of the past, associated with ancestors and matriarchs from generations back. We overlook the ways in which we pass down information about ourselves and how we add to the stories we tell each other, bouncing jokes and anecdotes back and forth between circles of friends. Everyday we share our identities, exchange intimacies through our lived experiences and dare to form bonds with each other. Entre Mundos continues this legacy.

      Entre Mundos, an art exhibition of Queer Mexican American art curated by third year student and artist Davíd Felipe-Rodríguez, uses art as a mode of storytelling for queer Mexican American sexual liberation, empowerment, and the reclamation of one’s identity through the intersections of sexual orientation, culture, and religion. Felipe-Rodríguez expresses, “Historically, queer storytelling has been one of the outlets through which our community could pass down traditions, histories, and narratives. Handing down the experiences, fears, triumphs, and struggles of a queer identity has been instrumental in constructing legacies – which is a form of resistance in and of itself.”

       For this article we interviewed Felipe-Rodríguez on the origins of this exhibition, its greater place in the tradition of storytelling, community, identity, sexual liberation, and the concept of home. This idea came about in April 2024, born out of a love for community and art, as well as the reimaging of art spaces at Brown. Centered around a personal desire, Felipe-Rodríguez’s identity as a queer Mexican was at the center of his drive to create a space where he could share both parts of his identity through art. With pieces by dozens of queer Mexican American artists, Entre Mundos creates a space that serves these artists in a way that most queer and artistic spaces on Brown University’s campus do not. “Queer spaces on Brown’s campus lack an intersectional lens. They’re white-dominated. And if they’re not, they’re dominated by people who come from generational wealth. I think that might be slowly changing, but I still didn’t always feel comfortable taking up space in these predominantly eurocentric communities,” Felipe-Rodríguez states.

        The aim of this exhibition is also centered on redefining the dominant narratives of queerness, as Felipe-Rodríguez states, “I have immigrant parents, I grew up poor, I just had a completely different queer coming-of-age story. My queer POC friends and I have always had to make our own spaces, pave our own way, and forge our own trajectories.” He adds, “I was tired of us not having a place to exist freely, and the idea of an exhibition of this kind crossed my mind. I applied for a Brown Arts Institute grant and recruited artists through social media and personal networks.” 

     As Davíd beautifully voices, “I’ve had to weave multiple parts of my being to create art that resonates with me and my unique trajectory,” Entre Mundos, meaning between worlds, is an exploration of intersectionality, balance, and community. This is articulated as Felipe-Rodríguez describes the meaning of the exhibition in relation to how home, family, culture, and reimaging are at the center of the art. “Growing up having to navigate your culture whilst also holding a queer identity has forced many queer Mexicans to form their own spaces. At Brown, I am extremely proud to be a first-generation, low-income student and son of working-class Indigenous Mexican parents. I hold my culture very tight, especially at this wealthy and predominantly white institution. And I know my parents are proud of me too, but my sexuality has always contradicted this image of the ‘perfect son’ that they envisioned for me. I’m proud to be queer too, though that came later in life, and the intersectionality of it all is something that I mentioned a lot of primarily white queer spaces on campus fail to acknowledge.”

     The themes of gender expression, sexual liberation, and community in the works of these artists, are presented in conversation with their Mexican culture. Art becomes a space to root oneself in the cultures that nurtured them while also articulating the complexities of their intersectional identities. “In a lot of Latine immigrant households, there is a lot of shame that comes with talking about one’s sexuality and intimate life. These are taught as things to never bring up—not with family or anyone else. Having to unlearn that has been a long process for me and my peers,” Felipe-Rodríguez explains. He comments on the common presence of Catholic motifs throughout the different pieces of the exhibition, stating, “Catholicism has played a big part of conversation among queer Mexican Americans, who often grow up with internalized shame caused by religion. To talk openly about our sexual orientations is a way of breaking these generational cycles.”

     However, the story told by Entre Mundos is one of community, whether through themes of the art, or the atmosphere from everyone in attendance. Felipe-Rodríguez touches on this as he states, “Community has always been vital for our survival. Marginalized peoples have continuously relied on each other to keep one another safe. This exhibition was meant to be, above all else, a safe space for queer Mexican individuals to exist and amplify their lived experiences through art.” Community was not just present in those who helped make this event happen, and those who showed up from all over, but also art spaces in Providence that made this possible. AUNTY’S HOUSE, a community arts studio in Providence, Rhode Island, not only held a physical space for showcasing Entre Mundos, but also worked to understand the importance of the story it told. Davíd goes into this as he reflects on the process of building this relation, stating, “I genuinely could not have done it without help from Lilly from AUNTY’S HOUSE. My institution did not give me sufficient funds to put up an exhibition like this, and I ended up having to spend so much of my personal funds. I didn’t have those financial resources and feel like I am still recuperating from it. But it was totally worth it. I remember coming to Lilly with my idea, with minimal hope of finding a place for the exhibition, only for her to offer AUNTY’S HOUSE for free for ~2 weeks. She helped me with all the lighting, promotion, and aftermath.” The support seen through the relationship created through the exhibit, serves as reminder for building relationships within the cities we are supported by, a reflection Davíd gives as he states, “I think as Brown students, it is very important to recognize that we are mere visitors in Providence. College Hill is a place of concentrated wealth, and it’s important to amplify artistic voices from actual local community members. I would suggest utilizing the university’s resources to do so. Connect with the community. Ask them what they actually need, and don’t assume that they need your help. Present yourself with humility and acknowledge your privileges.”

     In envisioning what he hopes queer Mexicans get from the exhibition, hope and pride are at the forefront. “I hope they are left with a sense of hope for the future. In lieu of our current society, I found it comforting to know that there are people who represent their identities in such an open and proud fashion. I hope people know that queer Mexicans have resisted erasure and will continue to take up space–in the fields of art, performance, academia, and everywhere else.” Entre Mundos is the continuation of stories of artists embracing their cultures, defining themselves, and using creativity as a tool to reclaim power. Felipe-Rodríguez notes this as he states, “The performance of creating and displaying art is a form of power. The artists who submitted pieces or performed live were taking part in this empowerment.” Art is in everything and it can be anything, especially as Davíd puts it, “I get a little inspired and write a poem or two. I like to help my community. I love my friends and family. My love is a form of art! And that, to me, makes me an artist.”

Davíd Felipe-Rodríguez (he/him) is a first-generation, low-income, undocu+, Queer, Indigenous student at Brown University studying International and Public Affairs and Ethnic Studies (with a focus on Oaxaca). On campus, he is a Meiklejohn Leader, barista at the Underground Cafe, and a co-coordinator for Natives @ Brown.