The Artist As Activist

Visionary Favianna Rodriguez Fights for Her Oakland Gente— and All of Us—by Uniting Her Talent With Her Passion for Change. 

- Jamie Katz

FAVIANNA RODRIGUEZ IS A WOMAN OF MANY GIFTS AND STRONG CONVICTIONS.

Blessed with a potent blend of intellect, imagination, and charisma, she has become a prominent figure in the vibrant artistic scene of her native Oakland, Calif., and an effective advocate for Latino, women’s, and environmental causes.

The 38-year-old Afro-Peruvian artist discovered her love of drawing at an early age, but her immigrant parents nudged her in a different direction, sending her to math and engineering camp. After a year of science studies at U.C. Berkeley, however, she dropped out to become a full-time artist and soon began making her mark as a designer of political posters, printmaker, and installation artist whose works have been exhibited at major museums. Rodriguez helped launch the “Migration is Beautiful” project in 2012 with the arts organization Culture Strike; its butterfly symbol was widely adopted among the hundreds of groups that joined forces for the National Day of Dignity and Respect the following year. Today, she lectures globally on the intersection of art and social justice.