Yolitztli Torres (junior) started drawing when she was a toddler, but she said she started taking painting seriously when she attended an arts high school where half her coursework consisted of art classes.
“High school was very formative for me. I did AP Art and had to produce a body of work which I had never done before,” Torres said. “It also helped me see how I could use art as a career and take it professionally.”
Torres said she grew up in Northeast LA and is inspired by her community and culture when creating her artwork.
“I would go to different community events and a lot of things were based in Mexican culture, Chicana culture and Indigenous culture,” Torres said.
Professor of Art & Art History Jose Guadalupe Sanchez III is one of Torres’ biggest mentors on campus. The two recently showcased their work in the “We’re Still Here” exhibition hosted by Tía Chucha’s Centro Cultural & Bookstore.
“We want to give our students the tools that are necessary for the world they want to enter,” Sanchez said. “It’s so wonderful that we can show [our artwork] together because that puts us on a horizontal playing field as opposed to a top-down scenario.”
Sanchez said he was first made aware of Torres’ work through Self Help Graphics & Art, a prominent Latinx arts center in East LA.
“Those experiences influenced what she chose to paint about,” Sanchez said. “She came in with a strong painting practice so instead of learning the basic foundations, we were able to jump into more conceptual ideas.”
Torres said she grew up attending Self Help Graphics & Art’s summer arts programs, which offered five weeks of free classes where she got to know a lot of the instructors.
In April 2024, Torres appeared on the PBS special “Art Happens Here with John Lithgow,” which she said was made possible through Self Help Graphics & Art.
“That was really big for me because I had never been on TV before. I was really nervous,” Torres said. “I’m really introverted, so being on camera with a celebrity was really nerve-racking.”
Torres is double-majoring in Studio Art and Latino/a & Latin American Studies (LLAS). Sanchez is her Art & Art History adviser and said he has seen her find her place on campus.
“[Torres is] constantly looking for and participating in organizations and committees on campus that further her interest in community-based work,” Sanchez said. “She has these principles of kindness and communal care for the people around her.”
LLAS Department Chair Lisa Sousa said Torres mentioned her passion for art when they first met, but only recently did she share her artwork with Sousa.
“It’s so beautiful, well executed, creative and just so expressive,” Sousa said. “I felt like I saw another side of her when she shared her artwork with me.”
Sousa said Torres has a lot of strengths as a student and has seen her grow into her confidence over time.
“She’s very serious, focused and responsible,” Sousa said. “I do believe her interest in art also reflects a more creative side [to her].”
Sanchez said Torres is very kind and considerate towards others and has a strong desire to work in communal spaces.
“Every time I interact with her, I have experienced her humility,” Sanchez said. “She knows what she’s talking about as far as the topics we’re thinking through with each other and through classes, but she’s never speaking in a way that’s arrogant.”
Sanchez said he is proud of the growth he has seen in Torres as an artist and a person and admires her strong work ethic.
“She’s doing a lot of things that require a lot of her time and attention, and she’s trying to give as much careful consideration to each of those tasks,” Sanchez said. “I think those are some of the strongest qualities you want in a person and I would say that I’ve seen those in my experience with her.”
Torres said she intends to continue painting beyond college and potentially work in the arts education field in the future.
“I’ve known for a while that I want to be a practicing artist,” Torres said. “No matter what else I do in my life, I’m still going to be creating artwork. I’m always keeping my eye out for opportunities.”
Contact Izzy Shotwell at shotwell@oxy.edu
