Nuestra Creación showcases Latine art through an annual art exhibition. The 2025 event is at Echo Contemporary Art. (Photos by Mitali Singh)
On the evening of August 27, Our creation’s latest exhibition Ojalá opened to the public. The gallery was abuzz with conversation, lively cumbia beats pulsed in the background, and, as guests steadily filtered, in the energy grew with each passing hour.
Seven years ago, Salvadorian artist Patricia Hernandez founded Nuestra Creación to uplift Latine, LGBTQ+ and BIPOC artists — groups long underrepresented in Atlanta’s art spaces. While the event began as a pop-up show, it was met with enthusiasm and quickly transformed into an annual exhibition celebrating Latine culture throughout September, recognized as Hispanic Heritage Month. Previously held at venues such as MINT Gallery and Old Rabbit Gallery, the exhibition now returns for its third year at Echo Contemporary Art.
This year’s show features the works of 60 artists with work inspired by the word Ojalá, which translates to “hopefully” in Spanish and “God willing” in Arabic. It is a term that carries hope and strength for the Latine diaspora. For Hernandez, it also speaks to the current moment.
“It’s been a very overwhelming season, with everything that’s going on in this country. So with this, we want to say Ojalá, offering hope that our lives might change or that our lives can open more doors to better opportunities,” Hernandez said.
Scenes from opening night of ‘Ojalá’ at Echo Contemporary Art.
A colorful woven prayer flag spelling out “Fuck ICE” is the among the first things visitors encounter when they walk into the exhibition, depicting Ojalá as protest and prayer. Nearby, a portrait of Frida Kahlo in vivid pinks and blues depicts the iconic artist with spikes through her eyes, staring out defiantly.
Clad in a patterned shawl, Hernandez appears omnipresent throughout the gallery — handing out paper fans to attendees, introducing friends, discussing artworks. She pops out of a conversation to greet someone, then returns to finish her sentence exactly where she left off.
“I just want people outside of our demographics to understand the weight that we’ve always been carrying, when we are such a big part of this community,” Hernandez said. “I want them to see who we are and what we’re trying to communicate, whether our frustration or our hopes.”
Hernandez’s approach to curation is led by color, beauty and feeling. As visitors turn corners, they encounter a mix of mediums — including visual paintings, digital and Polaroid photography, knitting, and sculptures — which makes for a dynamic visual experience. In one corner, a set of three small sculptures perched on stands break up the movement.
Sarah Osorio poses with her work at Echo Contemporary Art.
On a wall lined with works that are splashed with warm hues, Sarah Osorio’s bright red painting of a jaguar and a woman catches my attention. A jaguar stands on its hind legs, frozen mid-motion, its mouth slightly ajar as it locks eyes with a woman. She meets its gaze, but it is her expression that draws the eye — appearing to shift the longer you look. It seems to flicker between hesitation and recognition, equal parts tender and fierce. The jaguar’s spots seep onto her skin and their animalistic stances suggest that they are equals.
Inspired by her trip to the mountains of Colombia and Peru, Osorio’s work draws from local myths of the jaguar: a powerful creature believed to move between worlds, from Earth to the underworld. “In the piece, she’s receiving that power from the jaguar,” Osorio said. “They’re connected, but she’s also being attacked — and it’s teaching her a lesson, too.”
Osorio, who is a Colombian American visual artist, met Hernandez through local art collective High Contrast. Her work explores perceptions of beauty and womanhood, often depicting women in moments of strong emotion that are designed to provoke the viewer.
Pieces like Jorge Bello’s Nuestra Story celebrate the Latine community. The piece, composed of rows of polaroids against a cloth tapestry, is a compilation of the last five years of his life. Bello views himself as a cultural worker and many of the Polaroids capture his artist friends. The subject matter ranges from political protests like the Buford Highway Protest and Election Day in 2020, to aesthetic shots from parties. For Bello, culture work is inextricably tied to the political, and his photography enables him to capture powerful moments from his perspective.
Another artist, Vianey Cecilio, has been photographing Atlanta’s art scene for more than a decade, but this is her first time exhibiting with Nuestra Creación. Though unsure of applying at first — she identifies as indigenous rather than Latina — a conversation with Hernandez helped clarify the show’s inclusive vision and made space for her participation. She sees Ojalá as a call to find beauty in the unseen; one of her featured photos captures a young girl watching teenagers prepare for Día de los Muertos in Oaxaca, Mexico.
Viey Cecilio has Witnessessed The Growth of Our Creation Pristhand.
“If you don’t know how to look at life and those special moments, you miss it,” Cecilio said.
Eight years ago, Cecilio took part in NANA (Ni Aquí, Ni Allá), a multimedia show spotlighting Latine artists, organized by fellow creatives Margarita Rios and Ámándá Nicole Bonilla. Since then, all three have witnessed a growing recognition for Latine artists in Atlanta’s creative landscape.
“I’m amazed at seeing how many people are here tonight and how many names I’m starting not to recognize. You can definitely see that we’re at the beginning of something new,” Cecilio said.
Rios views Nuestra Creación as not just a gallery event but an achievement for Latine visibility.
“Pati is one of the people really pushing for the Latine community to have a voice. It’s taken years to get to this point where she’s able to have a blowout situation,” Rios said. “Every year has been beautiful, but it’s been very difficult without that financial support from the city, from sponsors, from folks that should be funding these things helping grow this community.”
Bonilla adds that the exhibition provides a safe space for the community to gather. “It’s hard to be in a community when there’s so much trauma around us. Carving out safe spaces like this is so necessary to keep hope alive and combat that isolation. When we see art hanging on the wall side by side, it’s a reminder that we’re all in this collective,” Bonilla said.
Through Our creation, now a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Hernandez continues her mission to uplift the Latine community. Her own work, inspired by her Latine heritage and indigenous ancestry, includes vivid murals and portraits displayed throughout the city — from Little Five Points to Emory Hospital.
Ojalá will be on display at Echo Contemporary through September 28, with ongoing events in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, including a performance activation, panel talks and closing events.
::
Mitali Singh is an Atlanta-based writer who is passionate about exploring the intersections between the arts and culture. She is currently a student at Emory University, studying English and creative writing. Her poems have been published in Eunoia Review and FEED.
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings