Yohanna M Roa

I am a visual artist, curator, and art historian, but I primarily define myself as an immigrant with a flexible culture to function in different contexts. I would describe my artistic practices through the concept of "yarn bombing," where the textiles are a device to connect communities. My workshops are based on a commitment to community building and core principles of wellness and self-determination. As a teacher, my goal is to interweave art with the stories and knowledge of people. My workshops are a space for self-recognition and community exchange meetings. My artistic work has been studied, published, and commented by: Karen Cordero for the 109 CAA Annual Conference, 2021; in Revaluing Feminine Trajectories and Stitching Alternative Genealogies in the Work of Yohanna Roa; Natalia e la Rosa: Yohanna M Roa, Textile Woman; and Casa del Tiempo Magazine, among others.  I have curated exhibitions in New York, Mexico City, and Colombia. My recent textile curatorship was "Off The Cloth," January 2023, for WhiteBox NY. For fifteen years I have showcased my work both nationally and internationally.

I am in the MA Women and Gender studies program at the CUNY Graduate Center. I also have a Ph.D. in History and the Critical Theories of Art Program from the Universidad Ibero Americana de Mexico, a Master's degree in Visual Arts from the National Autonomous University of Mexico, and a Bachelor's degree in Visual Arts from the Departmental Institute of Fine Arts of Colombia, with a meritorious thesis. In addition, I have a diploma in Art Anthropology CIESAS - LATIR, Mexico City and Urban Ethnography.

As an artist, I have extensive experience teaching at different levels and fields related to art. I have worked with children, youth, and adults of different ages. My experience includes hand-made fanzines of personal and community memories, dialogue and self-recognition textiles, community-based public mural projects, and introductory, basic and advanced workshops in art history, which may include visits to museums or tours of historic places. I have been a teacher of workshops in neighborhoods and communities, also at the bachelor's and master's levels.