Artist Statement

Connect describes physical interaction as both intimate and invasive, a form of both connection and microaggressions that bodies of color often experience. The work grapples with how racialized bodies are simultaneously othered and fetishized, with personal boundaries frequently disregarded. 

The cast hands evoke a sense of absence, ghostliness, or even an idealized neutrality, which contrasts powerfully with the reality of touch as both connection and intrusion. The adornments nod to commodification, or even the illusion of value— alluding to how bodies of color are often objectified or exoticized.

Artist Bio

Alexandria "Inez" Garcia is a Salt Lake City native and interdisciplinary artist whose work merges glass and mixed media to explore cultural identity, western exoticism, and the impact of othering on women of color. Drawing from her Chicana and Egyptian heritage, she investigates both the lived experiences of marginalized communities and the systems that shape them.

Inez earned her B.F.A. from Alfred University in 2014 with a concentration in glass blowing. Her techniques are informed by a wide range of processes including lost wax body casting, screen printing, enamel painting, and traditional glass blowing. Her practice adapts to available materials and facilities, and she is currently expanding into illuminated glass sculpture thanks to access to new equipment and mentorship—offering opportunities to realize ideas previously out of reach.

Beyond her studio work, Inez collaborates with local nonprofits and arts institutions to instruct sculpture classes, offer consultation, and advocate for representation of women of color in the arts. Her community partnerships include the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art, Curly Me!, Springville Museum of Art, and the Salt Lake City Arts Council.

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