Photos and text by Sara Guevara for La Raza NW

On Nov. 7 th , a new and upcoming local Latina artist is striving to make a name for herself and represent the community by being the host of an art show called “Cultivando Raíces”. The event took place on 1 st avenue in South Seattle near Pioneer Square. The Honduran artist, Dovey Martinez, took the opportunity to show her artwork and also give other Latino artist the space to show theirs. Martinez showed 6 pieces of art that portrayed different Latinos in distinctive settings.

Jasmine Boror has been closely following Martinez and her artwork for a while and attended “Cultivando Raíces”.

“I just feel like she speaks volumes of our culture and our customs,” said Boror, “Her artwork is very representative of our family oriented and hard work ethic kind of culture.”

Her favorite piece she has created was the painting that opened many doors for her. It is a painting of her mom wearing an apron while mopping inside a wealthy home. The house has tall ceilings, a beautiful dining room table and a great amount of space suggesting that it is a home of high value. This painting brought attention to her artwork and talents. It was recognized by a famous magazine and platform called “The Cut”. It was also part of her first art show in Seattle.

“That one painting is what opened so many doors for me. Last minute, I added gold to it and now I am known for that,” said Martinez. Martinez is now known for placing gold paint on faces. “I use gold paint over the face and bodies of the people I paint as a metaphor for their high value to second generation immigrant children, but also to America,” said Martinez.

Dovey Martinez is a portrait artist based in Seattle. She is a second-generation Honduran American and her portraits focus on immigration, immigration labor, and celebrating the beauty and diversity of Latinos in America.

“I strive to use paint and personal imagery of my friends and family to share a story of labor, struggle, perseverance, motivation, and identity,” said Martinez. Martinez was able to have private education because of scholarships since middle school. She then received her bachelor’s degree in studio arts from Connecticut College in 2018.

Martinez said her biggest inspiration is her mom and is the reason why she is so invested in representing Latinos in her art. Martinez will continue to represent immigrants in her paintings and make her art be an impact not just to the Latino

community but also to everyone else who has not experienced the Latino immigrant lifestyle. Martinez said she plans to visit different cities around the country where she has been invited to be part of various art shows.