Contact Zone

My work explores the shifting nature of memory, history, and cultural myths that we inherit, challenge, and reshape. Using various me

diums allows me to engage in multiple visual languages to examine multiple themes. Through this process, I reinterpret my observations and personal experiences, navigating the complexities of rediscovering cultural heritage while forging a new path in a changing world. As a Mexican American artist growing up in Southern California, my work is deeply influenced by the immigrant experience and the intersection of multiple cultural identities. I consider my practice a contact zone where cultures meet, clash, and negotiate. This approach allows me to challenge dominant narratives while honoring the personal and historical significance of Indigenous and diasporic imagery. Inspired by oral histories and firsthand accounts, I center storytelling as a means of reclaiming agency, allowing for a layered exploration of identity beyond conventional representations. I utilize found objects, vibrant color, and assemblage to create immersive narratives that examine social and political realities. My material choices symbolize the act of navigating multiple spaces simultaneously. These elements serve as metaphors for resilience and adaptation, transforming everyday materials into new sites of meaning.

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José M. Loza (b. 1983, Cuernavaca, Mor., Mex.) is a first-generation Mexican American artist from Long Beach, CA. Working across drawing, painting, printmaking, and mixed media, he explores the fluid nature of memory, history, and cultural myths. His practice serves as a contact zone where personal and collective narratives intersect, clash, and evolve. Loza often collaborates with artists and activists on community-based projects, using storytelling and historical references to examine the American immigrant experience and the systems that shape it. Loza is a graduate of CSU, Long Beach with a Master of Fine Arts in Illustration and an Art Education Single Subject Teaching Credential. He is also a recipient of the 2018 Arts Council for Long Beach Professional Artist Fellow and is a 2023-24 California Arts Council Creative Corps Fellow.