Hugo Crosthwaite combines portraiture, comic book references, urban signage, commercial facades, and mythology in dense, layered compositions. Working primarily in black and white Crosthwaite brings characters from allegory and popular media to the stage of the human condition, interacting with the architecture of Tijuana and dreams of the border. The work reflects the character of frenetic urban settings, a border in flux. His awards include first prize in the National Portrait Gallery’s Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition.

Arlene Dávila is Professor of Anthropology and American Studies and Founding Director of The Latinx Project at New York University. Her work focuses on questions of cultural equity, Latinx and critical race studies. She is the author of multiple books focusing on Latinx cultural politics spanning the media, urban politics, museums and contemporary art markets, including her latest: Latinx Art: Artists, Markets and Politics (Duke Press 2020).