Bridgette Romero

Ancestry: Zambo / Latin Afro-Native / Guerrero-Nahua
Based In: Seattle, WA
Email: fluffybook@yahoo.com
Social Media: @babydollbridgeart

About the Art
I have been primarily focusing on digital art as of lately, due to me being displaced. I used a humble original iPad with medibang paint and stylus for most of these, but I have been lucky enough to recently upgrade to a newer tablet, and now use the procreate software, so I can render my photos in higher quality.

About the Artist
Hello! I am a transmasc autistic Latine Afro-Native 2 spirit I am a multi media Afro-indigenous artist whose roots hail from Guerrero Mexico. I grew up in Socal in a “Latinx” bubble, dysphoric and unaware of my ancestral truth. Like many ididn’t understand race as a child ; all I really* knew was my relatives migrated here. lightskin Latine were the majority in the hood I came from . They reminded me I was a person Of color and never let me forget it. They would call me slurs and i would feel micro aggressed for my afromexican mannerism. I never understood why. I just assumed because our parents were from the same country that race/skin color didn’t matter, but to them, it definitely did. Many people are unaware that natives still exist in Mexico, and even more so that there are Black people in Mexico. The first president of Mexico was a Black Native man. The state my maternal lineage is from was named after him , and has an abundance of Black people that are deeply under represented in the African diaspora. A lot of our modern Native culture in Guerrero ,and much of Latin America, is definitely influenced by our African ancestors. Africa is A hidden cultural root of Latin America. Realizing my truth as an Afro-Native, person has healed me so much. It is so humbling and pure because you realize that our peoples are more alike than we are different. People often choose to ignore us because our existence is a threat to colonialism, and because of that I always found it hard to find representation in media i. I wanna help give the representation I never got My biggest achievement would be having the strength to reclaim myself. People with my intersections have so much going against us and so community and cultural building is vital for us, because it helps us feel safe to exist and enables others to do the same.

Afro-Native Kwanza

digital, 2020

For representing ourselves, I decided to depict an Afro-Native family celebrating African principles during kwanza and combining that with their Native heritage. I saw a rugrats episode on kwanza and it really spoke to me and the main thing I took away from it is the importance of representing and showing up for ourselves and our people and reminding us that we are all connected and that our heritage is sacred and we shouldn’t let our diaspora make us feel like we aren’t worthy of our own culture.

Cara de india

digital, 2020

“Cara de India” is usually a racist phrase in Latin America... if someone says that to you it’s supposed to be insulting, translated it means “face of an Indian“ and here I decided to reclaim that narrative. Native features are beautiful. Native women are beautiful! Here I depicted an indigenous woman, wearing turquoise earrings.

2Spirit Superhero

digital, 2020

For the concept of “be a good ancestor, “ I chose my 2spirit superhero piece because I think being a good ancestor means standing up for what’s right! There aren’t any decent Native superhero representations in media. So many Natives and in general indigenous people feel the need to look to our elders as the real superheroes in our community and day-to-day lives. So I think being a good ancestor means holding that sacred energy and being someone youth can aspire to be when they become elders.

Xoey the Xolo Werewolf

digital, 2020

For representing ourselves: I loved monster high as a teenager! But being a Mesoamerican Native, representation can for us can be very uneducated and lackluster for us. And ever since it was confirmed that Clawdeen wolf is a lesbian I decided to draw a Xoloitzcuintli Werewolf who is transmasc 2spirit non-binary lesbian. He’s/they’re an alternative Native punk wearing a guayabera, and huarache combat boots.

Creepy N8v Kidz

digital, 2018

Two Native men a couple of years ago were racially profiled by white woman, who referred to them as “creepy” and in retaliation alternative gothic natives came up with the hashtag “creepy native kids “ to elaborate on that, I decided to draw me and my gothic native friends in a Tim Burton Art style.