JHEYDA MCGARRELL

(b. 1997 West Covina, CA)

”As of late, I’ve been interested in the potential to envision a world of possibility, a sort of positive rebellion against the carceral-surveillance state that people of color are forced to live in. It started last summer with my solo exhibition, that was inspired by the cartel’s murder of my cousin in Sinaloa; this occurrence in conjunct with an academic study of the US carceral/immigration system, caused my realization of the true horrors of oppression. This realization in turn came together with an acknowledgement of my own socioeconomic privilege and how it has influenced my relation to peace and leisure. Currently, I’m trying to understand how to work within different systems of oppression to liberate the ideologies of communities of color, so that they may be reclaimed and transformed into places of healing and love within our own communities.”

McGarrell graduated with a BFA from New York University in 2019 and is currently pursuing an MFA at Cal Arts.