Barrio Santo

“Barrio Santo”
16x20” — Acrylic on canvas with fabric textile

In Barrio Santo, I reimagin a Chicano figure as a modern-day saint. The subject, dressed in the familiar attire of barrio culture — bandana, white tank, and khakis — is crowned with a radiant gold halo, echoing the sacred iconography of Catholic tradition. The richly patterned fabric backdrop evokes cultural memory and ancestral heritage, situating the figure within a lineage of reverence. By blending realism, sacred symbolism, and cultural identity, this work reframes an everyday man as an icon of resilience, dignity, and pride.