susan aparicio
stained glass and video artist
los angeles, ca
˚₊‧꒰ა Statement ໒꒱ ‧₊˚
Inspired by Latinidad and pop culture, I have carved an avenue I recognize as “emo pop”; a melding of the vibrancy of pop art’s aesthetic with the grief and heartache that raised me in southeast LA. Recognized for its holy iconography, stained glass as a medium allows me to venture into the material worship of the early to mid-2000s. I create what my friends, family, and I never owned but were told to strive for endlessly. The process of glass making decommodifies what was once untouchable, creating its tangible counterpart. My video installations explore the familial archive and what we choose to be eternal through home videos. These tapes alone are hundreds of hours of laughter’s lightness intertwined with death or deportation constantly looming. However, once edited together they become a family collaboration rooted in reflection. While many of my pieces illustrate the material world, I am also moved by our interconnectedness amongst the natural world. Whether by stellar remnants, clouds, or the sky I am working to create a balance of both worlds. In either, my aim is to create work that asks one to meditate on their own place within their community and family.
˚₊‧꒰ა Bio ໒꒱ ‧₊˚
Susan Aparicio is a southeast LA native working in the mediums of stained glass and video installation. As a daughter of Mexican and Honduran parents, Aparicio’s work is inspired by Latinidad, 2000’s pop culture, and her familial upbringing. Her style blends themes of commodification with the nostalgia and emotions that cut through the superficiality. Her works have been exhibited at LaPau Gallery, Charlie James Gallery, the California Museum, the Hudson River Museum, Texas Tech University, and California State Dominguez Hills, among others. Her work has been recognized by publications such as the Daily Bruin and V Magazine. Aparicio was a resident at Caldera Arts Residency and the Artists’ Cooperative Residency & Exhibitions (ACRE). She earned dual BA degrees in Studio Art and Cognitive Science from the University of Virginia in 2018. She then earned her MFA in Art from UCLA in 2022. She is currently based in Pasadena, CA.
˚₊‧꒰ა CV ໒꒱ ‧₊˚
Solo Exhibitions
2023 “Stellar Remnants” LaPau Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2018 “Represented” Northern Virginia Community College, Manassas, VA
Group Exhibitions and Screenings
2024 "9 Lives" Bellyman, Los Angeles, CA - Curated by Salim Green and John Bogaard
2023 NADA Miami, Murmurs Gallery, Miami, FL
2023 "Kindred Worlds" Hudson River Museum, Yonkers, NY - Curated by Priscila and Alvin Hudgins
2023 "TRYST Alternative Art Fair" Torrance Art Museum, Torrance, CA - Curated by Junior High LA, Chelsie Rivera
2023 “Arte Activista: Dia de los Muertos” California Museum, Sacramento, CA - Curated by 3B Collective
2023 “Tender Reverie: mendings of the heart” Soho Warehouse, Los Angeles, CA - Curated by Kevy Yang
2023 “For the camera, for the screen, for the audience.” SOA Folio Gallery, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX - Curated by Carolina Alamilla
2023 “Stone, Star, and Myth” Canoga Park Youth Arts Center, Canoga Park, CA - Curated by Monica Juarez
2023 “Our Lips Are Sealed” LaCorte Hall Gallery, Cal State Dominguez Hills, Carson, CA - Curated by Aandrea Stang and Juliana Paciulli
2022 “Avant Card” Wild Card Creative Group, Culver City, CA - Curated by AK Jenkins
2022 “Raza Cosmica” Latino Collection and Resource Center, San Antonio, TX - Curated by Manuel Solis
2022 “Rostro” Charlie James Gallery, Los Angeles, CA - Curated by Ever Velasquez
2022 “SoCal MFA 2022” Peggy Phelps Gallery, Claremont, CA - Curated by Alycia Anthony and Isabella Hackerman and Juried by Dion Johnson
2022 “MFA #2 Exhibition” New Wight Gallery, Westwood, CA
2022 “Star Maps: A constellation of contemporary Latinx science fiction” Arthouse at Blue Star, San Antonio, TX - Curated by Manuel Solis
2022 “Aqux” The Mistake Room, Los Angeles, CA - Curated by Cesar Garcia-Alvarez
2021 “Raza Cosmica” Official Latino Film and Arts Festival, Harlem, NY - Curated by Danny Hastings and Manuel Solis
2021 “Weekend Loop” Third Floor Window, Pittsburgh, PA - Curated by Carolina Alamilla
2020 "This is Love” Collective Misnomer, Denver, CO - Curated by Lydia Moyer
2019 “Graduate and Alumni Exhibition” Ruffin Gallery, Charlottesville,VA - Curated by Ashley Boulden and Dylan Spivey
2019 “Playing In The White” Ruffin Gallery, Charlottesville, VA
2019 “WXTJ Art Show” Trashhouse, Charlottesville, VA
2018 “4/5: Aunspaugh Fifth Year Women” McGuffey Art Center, Charlottesville, VA
2018 "Ruff Summer” Ruffin Hall, Charlottesville, VA
2018 “The Process” SHHO, Grit Coffee, Charlottesville, VA
2018 “Art on the Corner” Open Grounds, Charlottesville, VA
2018 “Fourth Year Thesis Show” Ruffin Hall, Charlottesville, VA
2018 “WXTJ Art Show” Trashhouse, Charlottesville, VA
2017 “New Media” Ruffin Hall, Charlottesville, VA
Curation
2020 New Wight Biennial 2020: “Once More, with Feeling…” UCLA Department of Art oncemorewithfeeling.art.ucla.edu
Residencies
2023 Caldera Arts Residency, Sisters, OR
2022 ACRE (Artists’ Cooperative Residency & Exhibitions), Steuben, WI
2020 Welcome to My Homepage Digital Artist Residency, The Museum of Human Achievement, Austin, TX
Lectures
2020 Visiting Artist Lecture, Video Art, University of California, Santa Barbara
Related Professional Experience
2022-Current Sales and Teacher, Pasadena Stained Glass Supplies
2021 MFA Social Media Coordinator, UCLA Department of Art
2017 Studio Assistant, University of Virginia, Assistant to Lydia Moyer - Artist’s Book Digital Formatting
Press/Publication
2024 LVL3 - Artist of the Week Interview
2023 Daily Bruin - Susan Aparicio’s ‘Stellar Remnants’ showcases a cosmic display of love and loss
2022 Daily Bruin - ‘Aqux’ explores representations of home, connects identities of Latinx community
2018 V Magazine - Autumn 2018: Featured Artist
Education
2022 MFA Art, New Genres, University of California, Los Angeles
2018 BA Studio Art - New Media and Cognitive Science - Cognitive Psychology, University of Virginia
Teaching Experience
2022 Lecturer - Video Art and Experimental Animation, Summer Art Institute, UCLA
2022 Teaching Associate for Peter Sellars - Art as Social Action, UCLA Department of World Arts and Cultures/Dance
2022 Teaching Associate for Vishal Jugdeo - Advanced New Genres, UCLA Department of Art
2021 Teaching Associate for Patty Wickman - TA Training Practicum, UCLA Department of Art
2021 Teaching Associate for Marco Rios - Beginning New Genres, UCLA Department of Art
2021 Teaching Assistant for Peter Lunenfeld - Media Histories, UCLA Department of Design Media Arts
2020 Teaching Assistant for Anuradha Vikram - Rise of Modernism in Global Context, UCLA Department of Art
2020 Teaching Assistant for Vishal Jugdeo - Advanced New Genres, UCLA Department of Art
2019 Mentor, University of Virginia Department of Art - Intermediate-Advanced New Media for Lydia Moyer
2019 Mentor, University of Virginia Department of Art - Intermediate-Advanced New Media for Dana Ollestad