Angel Garcia
Angel Garcia
Lios, yee hunaktekame enchim aniavu, inepo Angel Garcia Sapawechia into inepo Yaqui/Yoeme hihyokame. God, creator be with you all, my name is Angel Garcia Fallensnow and I’m a Yaqui/Yoeme artist! I’m also a proud member of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe out of Tucson, AZ where I lived most of my life.
Since living off the reservation I’ve been reconnecting to my language, culture and with the earth as well as getting involved with community.
I currently incorporate Yaqui folklore through my art and share the little bit of knowledge and stories I’ve grown up with, being lucky and fortunate to have a beautiful space in Garden Unidos (a small BIPoC farm on Payomkawichum Territory – Oceanside, Northern San Diego County, Instagram: @gardenunidos) where I can get my hands in the soil. It was here I learned how to compost, grow food and be able to plant gourds to make traditional hand rattles and finding balance in life. I also participate in building community with local events, painting, and recently I got involved in prayer runs for the injustices of our people. I am deeply grateful and honored to be a part of this exhibition amongst other great artists!
IVDM is excited to have 3 paintings created by Garcia on display as part of Native Voices | Native Truths: A Contemporary Experience.
You can find more of Garcia’s work on Instagram @angelsapawechia.
Massi ye’eme ta’ata kom weche vetana (deer dancer where the sun goes down), 2023
acrylic on canvas
24 in x 18 in
I had an idea of wanting to use the silhouette of the deer dancer in midst of a sunset and had envisioned the colors I wanted to use. The deer dancer is so fast in movement that it’s so hard to catch it’s beauty and that’s what inspired me to create this piece, to catch life while it happens! I’m excited to share and capture that all for you and once you have a vision or idea please run with it!
Empo ania (you are the world), 2023
acrylic on canvas
24 in x 32 in
How we greet each other in Yoem Noki (Yaqui language) we say, Lios enchim aniavu (plural) and singular will be Lios enchi ania which translates to God be with you all in world/life or god be with you in world/life, there is many translations but I like to think we greet each other by calling each other ania (world) because truly we are, we are our own ecosystem just like the regalia worn by the deer dancer and just as precious as the flowers; we are made up of beautiful thoughts and memories of feelings and our own thinking systems and we share the same minerals as our Mother Earth!! I feel like once we discover this in ourselves and our loved ones the world wouldn’t be so ugly!
Ersenia (Heritage), 2022
acrylic on canvas
24 in x 18 in
The masso kova signifies great meaning and inheritance of our people. When the deer dancer is immersed in regalia, dance, and song it transcends him to other realms making him an inter-dimensional being!