Edgar Reyes is a multimedia artist based in the Baltimore and Washington D.C. area. Reyes earned his MFA from Maryland Institute College of Art and has taught at non-profit organizations, schools, and museums. Many of his projects are autobiographical and a reflection of his personal journey as an undocumented youth in the United States. His work highlights the adversities his family has faced when divided by deportations, the loss of loved ones, and racially motivated crimes.
Reyes is driven by the desire to raise an awareness and question the ongoing displacement of his community and their native rituals that transcend our current national borders. He explores how the blending of Indigenous and European traditions is an ongoing process of conquest and resistance.
Through his creative programming interests and abilities, he nurtures the development of youth-driven arts-based leadership initiatives, that advocate how art and design can assist in self-expression and easing of cultural tensions. Reyes also creates some of his pieces in a collaborative platform as an act of healing and as a resource to creatively engage others in their connection to the land and their shared narratives of survival.
His art practice highlights the beauty of being Mexican American, yet questions his national and cultural traditions. He challenges social norms to express what it means for him to be labeled Latino. His art making is centered around building compassion and understanding regarding the complex history of forced and voluntary resettlement throughout the Americas.