Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Hugo Medina. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Hugo, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?
I would say my work ethic comes from my mother, her strength and resilience are remarkable. I strive to pass down her strength and resilience to my children. We migrated here with nothing when I was 8. lived most of my childhood undocumented. She managed to not only support my two sisters and me but inspire us to strive for more. All three of us have received our master’s degrees, and have been able to create a life for our children that she dreamed for us.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
“¿Rendirme yo? ¡Que se rinda su abuela, carajo!” Colonel Eduardo Abaroa Hidalgo
A Bolivian quote that has stayed with me since I learned about it. Loosely translated it means “Should I give up? Let your grandmother give up, damn it!
I feel Artists’ intrinsically political work carries a laudable responsibility for framing and shaping our shared historical narrative. My work is a reaction to current events, a social commentary that is integral to the inclusion of important underrepresented perspectives. A natural observer of the working-class and migrant communities around the world, I am inspired by their resilience and hardships. Connecting the commonalities of human struggle which mirror the experiences my family endured migrating to the United States from Bolivia. My work focuses on transcending borders by capturing humanity, rendering complex and sometimes conflicting emotions of individuals striving for better lives throughout the world. I explore universal issues of migration and immigration intending to express fleeting feelings, moments, and states of being that endure the journey and remain in our psyche, molding our identity and impacting generations to come.
Painting portraits of individuals from my travels and day-to-day encounters, I intentionally connect with the “others” of society. Through visualized investigations, I strive to depict their inner struggles as a form of artistic anthropology. Exposing the socio-economic hierarchies of our society which are further exaggerated by access to naturalization statuses, my work serves as a creative cultural expression of identity and search for national belonging. Observing and recording the purposefully overlooked members of society has facilitated my growth not only as an artist but also as an immigrant striving to overcome my history of trauma. I arrived in this country illegally at age eight and spent most of my youth, undocumented and in constant fear of deportation. In search of the American dream, my parents broke the law and our family remained in the shadows for over a decade. My educated parents worked several “under the table” cleaning and labor jobs until we were eventually granted citizenship through the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. This legislation changed the trajectory of my life, not only was I able to attend college and pursue my dreams, I became a productive member of society, no longer hiding my identity but celebrating it.
Community-based art is a passion I explore for artistic growth. In my public work/murals, I strive to ignite conversation around what is happening with our current world, and immigration policies. As our globalizing world is becoming more accessible to all, the arts, our history, and our collective search for justice are what drives my work. Celebrating my roots, identity, and the shared experience of immigrants, my work will attempt to bridge the imagination with experience and ignite dialogue around the complex understanding of who we are, a nation of immigrants.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Hard work, integrity, and passion are I feel the most important skills needed to keep growing. Also, one needs to have the strength and resolve to step out of themselves and look inward. Have the courage to change and grow. I am where I am because I kept failing, but never gave up, never surrendered.
I have been privileged to witness and learn from my partner, which I feel is a skill that is essential to have as well. She has incredible tenacity, and resolve. I have seen her fight and struggle to achieve her passion. The dedication she has to her craft, our children, and her non-stop resolve to not only accomplish what she sets out to do but to accomplish it at her highest capacity is admirable and humbling.
Listen to your heart, as it will guide you to achieve your dreams.
Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?
Les Misérables by Victor Hugo is one of the books that has impacted me the most. It was first given to me by my father when I was in H.S. Since then I have read it multiple times, each time learning more from it.
Contact Info:
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.hugosart.com/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hugomedina/
- Other: I quit all social media back in 2021. One of the best decisions I have made for me as an artist, a father, a partner, and a human. #hugosArt
Image Credits
Photos were taken by Kira Olsen Photography
