ARTIST STATEMENT
VNA’s art revolves around the complexities of being an “authorized alien,” a legal immigrant who lives in the shadows of both worlds, never fully belonging to either.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Jennifer Godinez, known as VNA is a Dallas-based artist whose work explores themes of identity, displacement, and the immigrant experience. Originally born in Mexico and brought to the U.S. at a young age, VNA\’s art revolves around the complexities of being an “authorized alien,” a legal immigrant who lives in the shadows of both worlds, never fully belonging to either.
Her process often involves self-portraiture, using the medium of Sumi ink and a precise mix of eyeliner and eyeshadow brushes, applied to cold press paper. VNA\’s choice of Sumi ink is symbolic, with the stark contrast between black and white often representing the duality of her lived experience: the external narrative of \”official\” identity versus the internal, personal struggles of fitting into a place that doesn’t fully accept her. She uses grays, created through water or dry brush techniques, to create depth and emotional layers, reflecting the complexities of her story and the broader immigrant narrative. The use of grays in her work symbolizes the space in between certainty and ambiguity, a metaphor for the space occupied by those caught in
limbo.
© Jennifer Godinez