A Selection of Stories Unearthed by Jenelle Esparza

Jenelle Esparza (American, b. 1985) is an interdisciplinary artist who was born and raised in the coastal city of Corpus Christi, TX. She attended the University of Texas at San Antonio and received her BFA in photography in 2010. She currently lives and works in San Antonio. Esparza has exhibited nationally in institutions such as The DePaul Art Museum in Chicago, IL; Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and The Momentary in Bentonville, AR; and Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. She is the recipient of numerous honors including 2015 National Association of Latino Arts and Culture (NALAC) Artist Grant, the Artpace International Artist Residency, and the National Performance Network Artist Engagement Fund.

Esparza's latest installation, A Selection of Stories Unearthed, at K Space Contemporary showcases her work from the past eight years, which explores and unpacks many facets of Texas history, her family's roots in South Texas cotton fields, their lived experience of state-sanctioned violence against Texas Mexicans, and the beauty that emerges from this interconnected history. Using family heirloom tools, found objects, cotton tapestries, and mixed media, Esparza reveals untold stories that she believes linger in the landscape of South Texas. This exhibition is a culmination of her work merged continuously into her first solo exhibition held in her hometown of Corpus Christi.