Omar Monroy
they/she
New York, NY, USA
Omar Monroy, originally from Huajuapan de León, Oaxaca, is Trans-nonbinary Ñuu'savi artist who crafts El Techichi jewelry. They are inspired by their roots and rejecting gender norms, to create maximalist, gender-neutral pieces.
“As a Trans-nonbinary Oaxacan immigrant and artist of Ñuu'savi descent, I, Omar Monroy, embrace EL Techichi as my creative medium to honor heritage and craft unique jewels. My journey, born in Iztapalapa, Mexico, and raised on Ñuu'savi Land in La Ciudad Heroica Huajuapan de León, Oaxaca, led me to Lenapehoking (Lower East Side in NYC), where I now call home.
My creations are maximalist and gender-neutral, rejecting colonial gender constructs. I believe adornment serves to elevate and connect us to our deities, transcending imposed limitations. With EL Techichi, I aim to celebrate opulence.”
What does being queer mean to you in relation to your material choices? Is it something you consider?
“I think in terms of queerness and material choices, I try to never limit myself. Often in the industry we have ‘men's’ and ‘women's’ rings but the materials themselves have no gender, so why limit, why make flower rings for femmes only? Me and my art are queer but i never want to limit who wears it. I think in terms of materials I always try to work with what i already have, what has already been taken from the planet."
Is the work queer because the maker is queer, or is it queer because the subject matter is queer?
“My work is queer because I am queer, and because most of my inspiration comes from Mexico's vast and luxurious nature scapes, it inherently becomes queer. Queerness is in nature, they go hand in hand. My work is made to break gender binaries placed on us by colonization and christianity, nothing does a better job of reminding us that gender is construct than nature."
"Mis Animalitos-Los Ocelotes", Recycled brass, one of a kind rubellite, smokey quartz, one of a kind freshwater stick pearls, 5" x 3" x .08", 2023Anything else you would like to share about this work? This can be an important part of the process, sourcing materials, or research.
“My work mostly consists of recycled brass made here on Turtle Island (USA) and up-cycled gemstones. These particular earrings are part of a slow collection called ‘Mis Animalitos’ it was inspired by my craving for Mexican visibility and what we see in media, specifically in the US. With this collection I want to bring to light all of the other amazing fauna that are native to Mexicos diverse nature scapes. From the skys to the oceans, because we are more than the Golden Eagle and the Jaguar. The title comes from what my grandma calls her farm animals, her ‘Animalitos’."