Sept. 15 marks what is traditionally referred to as Hispanic Heritage Month, a monthlong holiday from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15 that celebrates the history, culture and contributions of Hispanic Americans to the United States.
One great way to celebrate this important month is to support Latinx businesses — now and in the future. (After all, these business owners have been especially hit hard in recent months.)
“When you shop from a small business, you’re buying from a real person – someone who put their heart and soul into making something special – and making a difference in their life and livelihood,” said Dayna Isom Johnson, Etsy’s resident trend expert.
Advertisement
“When you shop from a small business, you’re buying from a real person – someone who put their heart and soul into making something special – and making a difference in their life and livelihood.”
- Dayna Isom Johnson, Trend Expert at Etsy
We turned to Johnson, along with the art experts at Society6 and Saatchi Art, to see what Latinx artists they recommend everyone should know about and follow. Not only should you bookmark these artists, but you should also actually buy from them and support them, too.
“When you buy from Latino, Latina and Latinx artists, you’re helping to support their creativity and vision, which is wonderful obviously, but you’re also financially enabling them to continue their artistic practice, invest in new materials, and live life as a professional artist, which is so important,” said Jeanne Anderson, general manager of Saatchi Art.
This month, Society6 will feature four Latinx artists in its Artist Showcase, including “rising stars” like Jennifer Dahbura, an illustrator from El Salvador, and Niege Borges, a Brazilian illustrator based in Brooklyn who is a favorite of Stephanie Dixon, the brand and content director at Society6.
Advertisement
We asked Johnson, Anderson and Dixon about the Latinx and Hispanic artists to know and follow right now. Below, you’ll find their recommendations.
Take a look:
1
LenoreLenoreStudio
LenoreLenoreStudio / Etsy
Shop owner Diana Corredin is based in San Francisco, California. Corredin makes original, handwoven jewelry with colorful beads that'll stand out in anyone's ears.
Niege Borges is a Brazilian illustrator based in Brooklyn. Borges is one of the artists featured in Society6's Latinx Heritage Month showcase. Dixon describes Borges' art as "a celebration, of culture, of identity and of everyday life."
“A big part of my work is celebrating women and gender fluid people. I usually like to portray curvy bodies and to emphasize women’s strength and [sisterhood]," Borges told Society6.
SolProano is a metals and textile studio that's been selling on Etsy since 2009. The shop describes itself as making "jewelry and objects that feature clean lines and organic shapes." You'll find pieces like this crystal mobile here.
Rocio Navarro is one of Saatchi Art's "Rising Stars" this year, and a personal favorite of Anderson. Navarro's work will be featured in Saatchi Art's October catalog.
Navarro is from Mexico but is now based in France. Lots of Navarro's work uses oil on canvas and features portraits with plenty of bright colors.
Another one of the featured artists this month at Society6, Jennifer Dahbura is an illustrator from El Salvador.
Society6 describes her work as "pulling inspiration from 15th century motifs and 1940s photographs" with "a dash of mysticism." Her art feels otherworldly.
Paula Flores was born and raised in Tijuana, Mexico, and now lives in Vienna, Austria.
Flores' art features lots of flowers, trees and different shades of the sky. Flores' bio on Saatchi Art says she creates paintings, collages and prints with "landscapes that reveal the lessons of the cosmos through which we can learn more about ourselves."
Shop owner Isa Medina says tallerjaguarazul is inspired by nature, with pieces made in Tijuana, Mexico. The shop features colorful clothes in shades like mustard and terracotta, along with home decor like planters and paintings.
Daniel Rodriguez is a photographer from El Paso, Texas. The fourth featured artist for Latinx Heritage Month, Rodriguez told Society6 that he explores topics like masculinity, gender norms and identity.
One of Rodriguez's series features Lotería cards popping out of landscapes like graveyards and rose bushes. The backgrounds on these prints are actually from his hometown.