Hi! My name is Jesús Balandrano Ramírez, and I was born and raised in the vibrant Westside of Santa Bárbara, CA, situated on Chumash Territory. I loved being immersed in the horns and bells of the street vendors and the cumbias blasting on weekends while señoras cleaned. The mixture of Mexican accents and kids speaking Spanglish with our Mexican-American accents created a bridge between my community’s distinct world in Santa Bárbara and Santa Barbara™. My interest in language and overall relationships began when I stepped outside of my community and entered others’—sometimes to the demise of my humanity. I became curious about the underlying reasons and dynamics shaping interactions between diverse groups due to the varying degrees of respect and acknowledgment.
My current work encompasses the complexities of relationships, whether platonic or romantic or anywhere on that spectrum, and how one navigates these parts of everyday life. I like to combine textures and text in my pieces to highlight the layers and intricacies of conversation between people. My pieces start out with a word or phrase about a memorable interaction, where I try to encapsulate the overall energy of that particular moment in its final artistic form.
Contact: j.jesbala@gmail.com
Instagram: @jesbala