“Golondrina guerrera / Swallow Warrior Woman / Pilmaikeñ weychafe”

Posted on November 3, 2025 • Words by María Isabel Lara Millapan • Art by Sandra Vega

Collaborators’ Q&A: Poet Lara Isabel Lara Millapan: Transformar para un mundo mejor cada día, a pesar de todos los obstáculos, la poesía trasciende. Artist Sandra Vega: For me it was definitely the storytelling of the poem. I think a lot of times I have juxtaposed myself to a bird and it touches me deeply.

Artist Sandra Vega says, “My work explores the politics of identity, biculturalism, which I define as a state of double consciousness, and an interpretation of otherness. I document a self-defining journey, navigating the hybridity of existing within this duality.” Poet María Isabel Lara Millapan is a Mapuche poet and a native speaker of her language. She is an academic at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Villarrica Campus.

Tagged: Animals, Digital Art, Empowerment, Gratitude, Indigenous Language, Myth / Legend, Photo Collage, Solace, Spanish (language), Translation

“At Cape Perpetua”

Posted on April 3, 2025 • Words by Lex Runciman • Art by Sandra Vega

Collaborators’ Q&A: Artist Sandra Vega: In my exploration of self and identity, I found my way to beetles and other insects to represent my roots, grounding me to earth/nature. Poet Lex Runciman: Almost all that I write can be understood as a response to a some question or series of questions. And among them, “what happened?” may be foremost.

Artist Sandra Vega says of her work: “I document a self-defining journey, navigating the hybridity of existing within this duality.” Poet Lex Runciman has published seven poetry collections, including The Admirations, which won the Oregon Book Award and Unlooked For (2022) from Salmon Poetry.

Tagged: Cyanotype, Digital Art, Ecopoetry, Solace

“Like stones / Ken tetsitsintin / Como las piedras”

Posted on November 1, 2022 • Words by Martín Tonalmeyotl • Art by Sandra Vega

Collaborators’ Q&A: Artist Sandra Vega: What drew me to this poem immediately was the Náhuatl; while I don’t speak the tongue, it was spoken by my great grandmother during her final days as she reverted to her native language. It was beautifully tragic as her loved ones around her spoke little to none. Poet Martín Tonalmeyotl: The poem is directed to the Nahua town of Atzacoaloya, Guerrero where before, its streets were filled with all kinds of people, mainly children who played with spinning tops, marbles, a game called rabbits and coyotes (the coyotes catching the rabbits) and playing with a ball until late at night, but the narco-violence came to this Nahua community and the streets became desolate.

Martín Tonalmeyotl was born in Atzacoaloya, Chilapa, Guerrero in 1983 and is a farmer, poet, translator, broadcaster. Sandra Vega’s art explores the politics of identity and biculturalism, which she defines as a state of double consciousness and an interpretation of otherness.

Tagged: Drawing, Existential Crisis, Fear, Indigenous Language, Spanish (language), Translation, War