KATES-FERRI PROJECTS proudly presents RUTAS, an initiative led by Studio Lenca, on view at 561 Grand Street NYC between January 4th and January 28th, 2024, with a reception on Friday, January 5th from 5pm-8pm.

Studio Lenca is the working name of artist Jose Campos – ‘Studio’ referring to a space for experimentation and making; ‘Lenca’ referring to the Mesoamerican indigenous people of southwestern Honduras and eastern El Salvador.

This project involves painting workshops and intimate gatherings aimed at supporting Latinx communities as they explore and reflect on their journeys from their homeland to the US. A precursor to RUTAS took place at the Albergue Tochan sanctuary in Mexico City in September 2023. The current iteration is the result of a collaborative effort between Studio Lenca and Latinx immigrants in New York City in December 2023, leading to 25 acrylic paintings on canvas board, mounted on a makeshift scaffolding installation. This workshop took place at Mixteca, a community-based organization that provides critical needs for Latinx communities in Brooklyn. 

RUTAS, meaning "routes" in Spanish, is Campos' endeavor to capture the accumulated knowledge of traversing untamed jungles and barren deserts, turning it into a resource for future generations. Campos envisions RUTAS as a visual library accessible to the public online, a repository of information freely available to future generations. The paintings serve as visual documentation and a humanizing effort to honor the strength required to face the dangers of the journey. 

During painting sessions, Latinx immigrants shared their experiences, creating a space for open dialogue. Campos, drawing from his own experience as a three-year-old escaping the 1989 Salvadoran Civil War, shared his journey on foot and local transport to San Francisco, where they settled as undocumented immigrants in the US. Reflecting on personal experiences, the artist states, "My mother and I, alongside our community, undertook journeys to the U.S. through illegal overland routes. These journeys often carry a burden of shame and trauma, lacking official records or archives. They are not only integral to our identities as displaced individuals but also contribute to the narrative of the USA."

For the participant artists, the literal representations of treacherous expeditions, such as the Darian Gap and the Arizona Desert, are woven into the heart and humanist lessons of the works. The interconnected immigrant stories depict a stark and undeniable reality of their lived experiences, capturing the essence of hope, faith, and adaptation.

"Routes" serves as a homophone for "roots," symbolized by a physical link formed by the installation structure Campos created from discarded wood and brooms found in the city. This structure mirrors real tree roots, embodying the improvised usage of materials by brave immigrants throughout their crossings, and reflecting the constant destabilizing precarity most undocumented immigrants live with.

The stories of immigrants highlight their ability to adapt and stay flexible in times of distress, qualities crucial in navigating the world today. The painting process itself becomes a metaphor for adaptation, as participants, some unfamiliar with acrylics and canvas boards, intuitively applied techniques like sgraffito to create their image and message. Working outside societal structures, these artists bring attention to constructs, systems, and rules while showcasing their potential through creativity.

RUTAS challenges the narrative surrounding migration, reframing it as a basic human right rather than an illegal activity. Campos engages in direct dialogue with Latinx immigrants, sharing their knowledge and experiences to preserve their stories. Under challenging circumstances, these daring journeys deserve reverence for their superhuman resilience and ability.

About the Artist: Jose Campos (aka Studio Lenca) is an artist that doesn’t belong anywhere apart from the world he creates.

Going by the name Studio Lenca. ‘Studio’ refers to a space for experimentation, a laboratory for praxis; ‘Lenca’ links the artist to the Mesoamerican indigenous people of eastern El Salvador.

The artist was forcibly displaced as a consequence of El Salvador’s violent civil war, one of the first wave of child migrants moving to the USA. Travelling illegally with his mother, the family lived as ‘illegal aliens’, cleaning houses with no fixed address.

Lenca’s allusions to materiality and the depiction of regal figures seek to decentralize the collective idea of Salvadorian identity. Proud, courageous and visible. All the things that a young Studio Lenca couldn’t be. The subjects stare out from the canvas, holding our gaze. Sharply dressed in colorful outfits and hats, confidently taking up space. The situation is often ambiguous, are they dancing to traditional Cumbias Salvadoreñas or running from homeland security? The work playfully references a combination of biographical anecdotes, personal reflections, and folkloric iconography. Visual cues are recalibrated to reclaim autonomy over a fragmented history.

Studio Lenca creates through the lens of his own sense of belonging and joy to defy the narrative surrounding his community. His work offers an altogether different sensibility from the forced assimilation and secrecy caused by the US immigration system.

Creating by his own rules. The displaced narrative is reconfigured, and the conversation is extended to enable investigation and redemption. Studio Lenca creates a world where people are empowered to take up space and tell their own stories.

Press Release Exhibition on YouTube