Hector G.

Any personal information you want to share?
I like nature, I like hiking, I like collecting rocks, I love art. I basically like anything that is free public access. I like learning and practicing my Nahua culture and language.

Where are you from? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in Los Angeles County. I now reside in South Los Angeles.

Tell us about your family.
My dad is indigenous he is Nahua and my mom is of mixed race. My ancestors have been farmers for thousands of years. My parents grew up farming for a living and to survive. We have always depended on the land for our survivorship. My parents immigrated to the USA in the 90’s from Mexico, and we have resided in LA County since 1990.

Tell us about past work/school or other meaningful experiences.
Well many years ago I took some photography classes at East Los Angeles College, and I really enjoy them. I got my Associate Degree in Psychology from Cerritos College. In my last semester at Cerritos College, I realized that I had chosen the wrong major and that I actually wanted to get an associate degree in Mental Health Work.

What is something you are proud of?
Something I am proud of is getting my certificate at Piece by Piece, and always trying my best to come to Piece by Piece for Open Studio and Basic Mosaic Class.

When did you first come to Piece by Piece?
I started coming to Piece by Piece in the Summer of 2022 on Wednesdays for basic mosaics classes.

How have you grown as a person and artist since joining Piece by Piece?
I’ve never done mosaics or knew what mosaic was until I came to Piece by Piece. At first, I was very nervous about cutting the tessera pieces, and I struggled to figure out where to place my tessera pieces, and my pieces would fly everywhere. Coming to the basic mosaic classes on Wednesdays and learning from Dawn, Bea, and the other instructors have helped me so much improve as an artist, and I have gained so much knowledge and skills about mosaics that I feel comfortable and at peace.

How did you first hear about Piece by Piece?
I was on my phone, and I was scrolling on the Social Media App Facebook to see if there were any free art events near me, and I saw a post on my Facebook feed about free basic mosaic classes for the residents of South LA, and I signed up.

What has Piece by Piece and creating mosaics added to your life?
Piece By Piece has given me hope and a voice. It’s very inspirational to be able to tell my story by putting broken recycled tesserae pieces together and being able to create art is something beautiful.

Who inspires you?
People inspire me. Everyone around me inspires me, and I always learn something new from talking and listening to people. I grew up in South Los Angeles with many diverse people from different backgrounds, cultures, etc. and that has helped me be open-minded.

What project have you enjoyed most? And why?
The Water Drop Detroit Project. Creating a water drop for the project and to bring awareness to the water issues in Detroit. Water is important for humans and water is life.

What are you most proud of from your PxP time so far?
I am proud that I am given the opportunity to work at my own pace at Piece by Piece. Doing mosaics at my pace really helps me with my mental health.