About

BIO:

Amy Nava Ruiz is a first generation, queer chicana born and raised in Houston, Texas. She received a bachelor of Fine arts with a concentration in photography and a minor in art history from the university of north texas and is currently a mfa candidate at the University of Houston. Nava Ruiz's work has been shown in nopalismo at elgin street studios, Houston, TX; visibility & stature, Cora Stafford gallery, denton, tx and collaborations xvi..., Houston center for photography, Hoston, TX.

StatemenT:

I am driven by my lived experiences as a queer daughter of immigrants. My work is an exploration of the visual representation of queer chicanx experiences. I am interested in the clashes, contradictions, beauty, strength, perseverance, and resistance that exist in the in betweens of my identities - the liminal spaces where identities intersect and flourish. In my work, i explore the intersections between Mexico and the United States, queerness and Cotholicism, tradition and modernity, visibility and invisibility.

I struggle to reconcile the contradictions and hidden histories in my identities. My work is my way of resisting these oppressions and fighting to have our stories told. Using a variety of techniques and mediums, ranging from live performance to digital photography, my work touches on themes of homophobia, identity, racism, trauma and the loss of culture and Indigenous practices. Through the use of Chicanx aesthetics and reflective materials, I strive to present and crystallize these lived realities in time.

CV/ Resume

EDUCATION
2026 MFA (pending), University of Houston, Houston, TX (expected May 2026)
2023 BFA magna cum laude, Studio Art with concentration in Photography and minor in Art History, University of North Texas, Denton, TX

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2023 – Instructional Assistant, University of Houston School of Art, Houston, TX
2022 – 23 Intern, Liliana Bloch Gallery, Dallas, TX
2021 – 23 Photo Lab Assistant, University of North Texas College of Visual Arts and Design, Denton, TX

AWARDS /FELLOWSHIPS/RESIDENCIES
2024 Fieldwork Marfa, MArfa TX School of Art MFA/MA Travel for Research Scholarship, University of Houston, Houston, TX School of Art MFA/MA Research Fund, University of Houston School of Art, Houston TX 2023 Graduate Tuition Fellowship, University of Houston Graduate School, Houston, TX
2022 The Janani Jeganathan Scholarship in Photography, University of North Texas, Denton TX
2021 Wes Miller Scholarship for the Arts, University of North Texas, Denton, TX
2021 The Voertman-Ardoin Fellowship, University of North Texas, Denton, TX

EXHIBITIONS

2025 en boca cerrada no entran moscas, Elgin Street Studios, Houston, TX.

2024 The Happening XX: JUDGEMENT, Thr Orange Show, Houston, TX Video as Performance, Colour Senses Project, Miami, FL NOPALISMO, Elgin Street Studios, Houston, TX
2022 dynamic luminescence, UNT CoLab, Denton, TX
Amor y Tiempo, UNT College of Visual Arts and Design, Denton, TX
UNT Photography: senior photography, UNT College of Visual Arts and Design, Denton, TX
Visibility & Stature, Cora Stafford Gallery, Denton, TX
30 Under 30, Denton Greater Arts Council, Denton, TX
Parallax 2022, Union Art Gallery, Denton, TX
Spring Equinox, UNT College of Visual Arts and Design, Denton, TX
2021 Vita Venitas, UNT College of Visual Arts and Design, Denton, TX
Notches to the Right, UNT College of Visual Arts and Design, Denton, TX
2019 Collaborations XVI a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined, Houston Center for Photography, Houston, TX

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