Gina
Gina Pacheco es un artista visual queer de nacionalidad ecuatoriana, ceramista y educador cuyo trabajo se ha centrado en el arte como medio de sanación, resistencia y cohesión social. Nació en una familia de artesanos ceramistas, desde pequeñe vivió la lucha diaria por la subsistencia, lo que le enseñó a valorar el trabajo arduo, la perseverancia y el poder de las tradiciones para resistir las adversidades. La cerámica se convirtió para elle no solo en una forma de expresión artística, sino también en una herramienta vital para la supervivencia y la construcción de identidad.
A lo largo de su carrera, Gina ha creado y facilitado talleres y proyectos artísticos en Ecuador; y desde que migro, actualmente en Filadelfia se enfocó en apoyar a comunidades vulnerables, especialmente a migrantes, mujeres y la comunidad LGBTQ+. Estos talleres de técnicas mixtas se han transformado en espacios de sanación y empoderamiento, donde la comunidad ha encontrado una voz propia para expresar sus experiencias y luchas comunes. Su vida se ecnontraba marcada por el rechazo, exclusión y la discriminación por su identidad de genero; desde su llegada a Filadelfia en 2022, ha colaborado en la creación de espacios seguros para migrantes de la comunida latine, donde las personas pueden compartir sus historias y fortalecer sus identidades a través del arte. Para Gina, el arte no solo es una forma de expresión personal, sino un puente hacia la solidaridad y la justicia social.
El arte de Gina está profundamente vinculado a la conservación de las tradiciones culturales y la adaptación de los conocimientos ancestrales a la contemporaneidad. Sus obras abordan temas de corporalidad, feminismo, justicia social y medio ambiente, y a través de ellas busca inspirar a otros a crear un mundo más justo y compasivo. En sus palabras: "Quiero que mi historia sea un faro de esperanza para aquellos que han sido marginados, excluidos y discriminados. Quiero que mi arte sea un puente que nos una, que nos inspire a crear un mundo más justo y digno para todos."
A través de su trabajo, Gina ha encontrado un propósito mayor: usar el arte como una herramienta para el cambio social, la sanación comunitaria, para crear comunidad, compartir experiencias y preservar la cultural, ofreciendo apoyo a aquellos que, como ella, han experimentado el desarraigo y la lucha por la supervivencia.
Gina Pacheco is an Ecuadorian queer visual artist, ceramist and educator whose work has focused on art as a means of healing, resistance and social cohesion. Born into a family of ceramic artisans, from an early age she experienced the daily struggle for subsistence, which taught her to value hard work, perseverance and the power of traditions to resist adversity. Ceramics became for her not only a form of artistic expression, but also a tool for social cohesion.
Throughout her career, Gina has created and facilitated workshops and art projects in Ecuador; and since migrating to Philadelphia, she has focused on supporting vulnerable communities, especially migrants, women and the LGBTQ+ community. These mixed media workshops have become spaces of healing and empowerment, where the community has found a voice to express their common experiences and struggles. Her life was marked by rejection, exclusion and discrimination because of her gender identity; since her arrival in Philadelphia in 2022, she has collaborated in the creation of safe spaces for migrants from the Latino community, where people can share their stories and strengthen their identities through art. For Gina, art is not only a form of self-expression, but a bridge to solidarity and social justice.
Gina's art is deeply connected to the preservation of cultural traditions and the adaptation of ancestral knowledge to contemporaneity. Her works address issues of corporeality, feminism, social justice and the environment, and through them she seeks to inspire others to create a more just and compassionate world. In her words: “I want my story to be a beacon of hope for those who have been marginalized, excluded and discriminated against. I want my art to be a bridge that unites us, that inspires us to create a more just and dignified world for all.”
Through her work, Gina has found a greater purpose: to use art as a tool for social change, community healing, to create community, share experiences and preserve culture, offering support to those who, like her, have experienced uprooting and struggle for survival.
Awarded Grants
2024
Art and Change Grant (ACG)
Overview
Gina’s project, Between Pages, seeks to create a safe and welcoming space for the Latine community in Philadelphia to foster expression, reflection, and connection through art. Through a series of ten workshops, participants will be able to explore relevant themes such as migration, self-care, cultural appreciation, and conservation of ancestral techniques, using artistic techniques such as drawing, painting, embroidery, and poetry. The goal is for each participant to create a work that fosters their personal well being, connecting their individual experiences with their roots and current context, along with a large aim to identity, resilience, and community connection.