PROFESSIONAL BIO
Brandy González was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas. She completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts with a major in drawing and a minor in sculpture from Southern Methodist University where she received the “Zelle Award” for outstanding artistic merit. After her undergrad, González taught art for eight years in the Texas public school system during which she completed her Master of Art Education from Texas Tech University graduating with a 4.0 GPA in 2013.
In 2016, she completed her Master of Fine Art also from Texas Tech University majoring in printmaking with a secondary in painting. While attending TTU she received the “Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges” award and the “Horn Professors Graduate Achievement” award for her work in social activism through the arts. González was also selected for the inaugural print fellowship in Lubbock at the Charles Adams Studio Project, a local printshop in the arts district. There she taught printmaking classes to the community and was the print shop technician.
González has been in an extensive amount of competitive national and international exhibitions. Her most recent competitive exhibition is the 33rd Annual Red Dot exhibition organized by Blue Star Contemporary Museum in San Antonio, Texas. She is also currently showing at Northwest Vista College in the Manzanillo exhibit space as part of an ongoing initiative to showcase local artists at the college level. You can also see her work in public spaces like the Oxbow Building by the Pearl, on the Kress building on the 300 block of W. Houston St. downtown, and in Poet’s Pointe Park. González is also in museum and university collections, national and international. One of the most notable being the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago, Illinois. She has also been the recipient of many awards and achievements. Most recently, the “Individual Artist Grant” awarded by the San Antonio Arts & Culture department and was also honored by receiving a “Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition” presented by the United States Congress in recognition of outstanding and invaluable service to the community.
González was the art professor at Lassen College located in the beautiful rural town of Susanville in Northern California. The call of home and family brought her back to San Antonio in 2019 as they welcomed their first child. Currently, she is the proud mother of two, the advanced art teacher at Clark High School and an Adjunct Professor at Northwest Vista College for Painting 1 & 2.
MEET THE ARTIST
Growing up in the inner city of San Antonio gave me an enormous love, respect and appreciation of my Mexican culture.
I translate this connection to my roots by creating work that communicates some of my favorite things about the city like eating and sharing tacos and making tamales. I love highlighting imagery that’s important to me and the larger Mexican culture while using a bold composition with vibrant colors. Perhaps this is a way I want important parts of my culture to be remembered, showing love and tradition through the making and sharing of food. Although this is not the only subject matter I do, I am often drawn back to it. I mean who doesn’t love tacos? Am I right?!
My path to being an artist started with a challenge...
ARTIST STATEMENT
Brandy González’s work explores the intersections of cultural heritage, social activism, and futurism, offering a vital perspective within the art canon by celebrating and interrogating Hispanic traditions. As the Hispanic and Latino population grows to become the largest ethnic group in the U.S., their stories remain underrepresented in mainstream art. González addresses this gap by creating work that honors cultural identity while imagining new possibilities for connection and empowerment.
Central to her practice is the exploration of tradition, particularly through the lens of food. Her depictions of tamales and pan de polvo (Mexican cinnamon-sugar cookies) reflect family rituals passed down for generations. These recipes are among the last ties to her ancestral homeland, and González elevates their significance by placing viewers in intimate, personal spaces where these traditions unfold. Works like “Hojas”, a large-scale mixed media lithography print of her family’s annual tamale-making process, emphasize food as a vessel for memory, community, and resilience.
González’s work also delves into alternate realities and quantum mechanics, exploring how traditions and collective experiences reverberate across time. She is fascinated by the idea that we are projections of ourselves throughout space-time, shaped by the echoes of our ancestors and, in turn, shaping the futures of those who come after us. Her work asks: How do traditions shape communities over time? Can echoes of culture and identity ripple forward to create more equitable futures? What might these futures look like if we actively shape them with intention?
This forward-looking approach connects her exploration of tradition with social activism. By using bold imagery, saturated colors, and elements of Hispanic iconography, González interrogates systemic oppression, from family separations at the border to the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on communities of color. She reflects on America’s complex legacy of racism and resilience, drawing strength from the Mexican proverb, “They tried to bury us, they did not know we were seeds.” This phrase underscores the themes of survival and transformation that run through her work, as well as her commitment to envisioning more equitable futures.
González’s exploration of cultural heritage is informed by her engagement with communities. Through public art projects, educational outreach, and collaborative works, she creates spaces for shared storytelling and collective action. These interactions not only shape her artistic practice but also highlight the power of memory, tradition, and intentionality in shaping collective futures.
Her work bridges the personal and the political, connecting intimate depictions of family rituals with broader sociopolitical critiques. By situating Hispanic narratives at the forefront, González reclaims space within the mainstream narrative of American art and advances the visibility of Xicanas as integral contributors to its evolution.
Ultimately, González’s practice is rooted in her identity but looks forward with a sense of purpose and imagination. She invites viewers to reflect on how traditions shape our shared experiences and how, together, we might build futures that honor resilience, connection, and equity.bethanien.de/en/
I would love to hear any feedback, project proposals, offers for collaboration and any other inquiries you might have!
You can contact me through the form provided here and feel free to follow me on Instagram.
INSTAGRAM @GONZALEZORIGINAL
