Artist Biography

Díana Rocha is a community-based artist in San Antonio, Texas. Her work is rooted in the ephemeral idea of life, generational trauma, and healing with underlying themes of feminism, female rage, animal symbolism, and Curanderismo through murals, paintings, and sculptures. Since 1999, Rocha has been active in community-engaged projects, including public murals and their restoration as they are beacons of the local community. She has assisted in the restoration of several murals throughout the westside of San Antonio and recently became a Lead Muralist on a project of her own titled, “Strength Fosters Change,” in collaboration with San Anto Cultural Arts, City of San Antonio – Office of Sustainability, and Texas Creative. In 2013, Rocha interned with Sarah Castillo, Creative Director at Lady Base Gallery, an interdisciplinary and performance artist, and most recently, Lauri Garcia-Jones (Loot Achris), a multidisciplinary artist who creates humanoid portraits with felt material. Rocha’s work has been published in Saytown Review ‘Zine, News4 San Antonio & Fox 29 San Antonio, San Antonio Report, and That Gray Zine. She will earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a concentration in painting in Spring 2025 from the School of Art at University of Texas at San Antonio. In 2024, Rocha was selected for a six-month studio residency at Space C7, where she continues to explore interdisciplinary work combining sculpture and painting. 

As a descendant of the Lépai-Ndé/Lipan-Apache tribe and the Mexica peoples, I am inspired by the shamanistic beliefs in the supernatural and the power of nature held by the indigenous peoples of the Americas, as well as Curanderismo—the healing practices of the Mexica peoples and traditions from both cultures. These influences, alongside underlying themes of female rage, resilience, and animal symbolism, inform my work. My aim is to shed light on the lack of understanding of ancestral spiritual practices, to challenge traditional gender role expectations, and to remind individuals of the power we hold not only as a culture but as women.

My work explores interdisciplinary practices by combining large-scale oil paintings with sculptural elements derived from naturally occurring objects. I utilize wet-on-wet painting, masking, and reductive painting techniques, along with vibrant colors and visible brushstrokes of unblended hues. These are layered over intricate traditional Mexica motifs—such as animals, plants, and geometric shapes—symbols representing transformation, resilience, and strength. To create these dreamlike, liminal works, I incorporate images of women, including self-portraits, captured in strong emotional states that challenge traditional archetypes. This approach seeks to evoke a more complex view of women, one that encompasses power and vulnerability, masculinity and femininity, fighter and healer. Additionally, my growing knowledge of Curanderismo, particularly through the practice of “pláticas”—heart-to-heart spiritual counseling sessions—plays a crucial role in my work. These confidential conversations allow individuals to vocalize and purge emotional burdens, facilitating healing and empowering them to stand in their own power. I visually record these experiences, often using a chosen photograph as a reference, and incorporate them into my artistic process.