For many children, an introduction to art comes from museums or kindergarten art classes. For Jaqui Almaguer, it was Little Village graffiti.Almaguer, a 42-year-old self-taught Chicago-based artist, had a lifetime of experiences before committing to an art career full-time. Now, shes putting her Chicana heritage and spiritual beliefs into her vibrant traditionally inspired painted pieces.Almaguer grew up a self-proclaimed troubled kid until she graduated high school, moving across the country at times to be with either of her divorced parents. As a young child, her introduction to art was gang graffiti around her neighborhood in Little Village.At the time, she mostly was just copying graffiti into her sketchbook and focusing on the shading, blending and dimension of the art form. As her interest grew, Almaguer saved up enough money to buy a book of Van Goghs artshe was fascinated by the way his work showed emotion.In her last year of high school, Almaguer moved to Nashville, where her mother livedwho Almaguer recalled was always into arts and crafts at home and had started working as an artist in her thirtieslived. But art remained just a hobby for Almaguer due to her moms belief in the starving artist stereotype, especially as Almaguer moved back and forth across the country in her young adult life.Almaguer began painting a series of Virgins of Guadalupe following her mothers passing. Photo courtesy of Jaqui AlmaguerHer father, however, wasnt supportive of her interest in art as a career. She came out as queer to her family at 14, so her queer identity combined with a desire for a nontraditional career path did not garner much support from him.When she was 29, Almaguer met her mentora Native American woman she lived with for about a year in Nashville and traveled with around the country. Her life continued to take her to unexpected places as she then went to work at her stepfathers company in Alabama before visiting his family Costa Rica, which she extended into a two year stay.She eventually returned to Chicago where shes been ever since, living in the southwest suburb of Berwyn.I saw people that looked like me in Chicago and I felt a sense of community, she said. I saw other queer Latinas that were doing art, that were tatted up, that were just doing the thing. And I saw a chance.Almaguer went on to host her first exhibit at 35 and began connecting with others in the Chicago art scene. People from the Pilsen Arts & Community opened their doors to her and she assisted them in curating an exhibit. She credits much of her art education to the community she found when she returned to Chicago.I saw people that looked like me in Chicago and I felt a sense of community.Jaqui AlmaguerOnce the pandemic hit, Almaguer decided to make the leap and become a full-time artist. She said the career comes with the usual expected struggles since art isnt a necessity people need to buy, but she has now been working full time for nearly five years.Almaguers art style is highly influenced by Mexican art in its color usage and pattern design, with bold shades and sharply defined shapes. She said it wasnt something she chose intentionally, but came out of an evolution of all the things that matter to her, from spirituality to Chicana culture. The vibrancy of the traditional art was something she felt she could expand upon and use.Her art also took a turn after her mother passed in 2020 during the COVID pandemic. The tragic passing inspired a series of works highlighting Our Lady of Guadalupe, a Catholic title given to the Virgin Mary after famous appearances in Mexico.[My mother] actually passed away on the [feast] day of the Guadalupe, and she was very dedicated to the Guadalupe, Almaguer said. So the images just came into my head, the fear of the pandemic, everything I was feeling and wanting to bring something beautiful to people during such a dark time.A lot of the themes in Almaguers art are reflective of major issues facing people in the U.S. todayreligion, queerness, Latino identity and migration. She was raised in a very Catholic household but had her queer awakening in high school, which led her to have questions about the churchs teachingsbut she was always scolded for asking them. While living in Costa Rica and going through mental struggles, she began to lean into prayer and spirituality in a different way.Ive incorporated bits and pieces of it into my art and who I am as a queer person, she said. You cant have spirituality without sexuality, and you cant have sexuality without spirituality. They go hand in hand.Almaguers art takes inspiration from traditional Mexican arts design and use of vibrant colors. Photo courtesy of Jaqui AlmaguerErika Latines met Almaguer at a pagan festival they were both tabling at in 2017, where they bought their first piece from Almaguer. They said she went into detail explaining the arts design and history, which Latines found incredible.They immediately became a fan and have followed Almaguers journey ever since, and over time became very close friends.We prop each other up, we value each other and all that, Latines said. Shes also not afraid to challenge me and educate [me]. I learn so much from her. She introduces insightful questions to me with genuine curiosity in a way that challenges me to look at it from a different perspective shes what I call a PhD-level human.One of the ways the two connect is over cooking, often traditional Mexican dishes like tacos or panecitos, Mexican sweet bread. Almaguer has served them homemade comfort foods at times they didnt ask, just out of kindness, which Latines said are some of their favorite memories and shows the type of person she is.As the daughter of immigrants, Almaguer also incorporates motifs highlighting the immigrant experiencewhen she returned to Chicago, she painted a lot of cacti, inspired by immigrants ability to survive and thrive under harsh conditions. Shes created masks inspired by a desire to feel protection from a higher spirit and other pieces inspired by witchcraft-seeming practices in traditional Mexican culture.When people told Almaguer to paint her trauma in response to her experiences, she didnt resonate with creating something reflecting her pain or negativityespecially with all the harsh news in the world today. She believes where the mind flows, energy flows and wants people to remember their own happy memories.I love hearing people say, Oh my God, this reminds me of my grandma, she said. Ive heard people get teary-eyed because theyre like, Oh, this looks like something that was in my grandmas house Its nostalgic to people, and thats what makes me feel good too.This story is part of the Digital Equity Local Voices Fellowship lab through News is Out. The lab initiative is made possible with support from Comcast NBCUniversal.The post Queer Chicana artist Jaqui Almaguer uses traditional styles to highlight immigrant experiences appeared first on News Is Out.