Federico Cuatlacuatl, born 1991, Coapan, Cholula, Mexico. Federico’s work is invested in disseminating topics of Nahua indigenous immigration, social art practice, and cultural sustainability. Building from his own experience growing up as an undocumented immigrant and previously holding DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), Federico’s creative practice centers on the intersectionality of transborder indigeneity, Nahua diasporic realities, and Nahua futurisms.
„My project centered on Nahua Migrant Futurisms through sculptural wearables depicting the imaginary of an alternative transborder futurity. Using natural materials from Mexico, textiles, and other mixed materials, my project focused on Nahualismos, or shapeshifters, from central Mexico Nahua cosmology. These futuristic Nahuales reclaim land, space and time as a means of building agency from forced self-displacements.”