After moving from Mexico City to the United States for a job, Xavier Tavera learned what it felt like to be part of a subculture—the immigrant community. He has tapped into that alienating experience as a photographer, taking pictures of people from other subcultures to share their lives with others.
“I take pride in my photography and hope the images reflect the diversity of the Latino population,” says Tavera. “These images not only document the Latino community, but they also assist in giving a voice to those who are marginalized.”
A McKnight fellowship recipient, Tavera has shown his work extensively in the Twin Cities (his work is part of the collections of the Minneapolis Institute of Art and the Weisman Art Museum), exhibited photographs nationally, and participated in international shows in Chile and China—all while working full time as a designer at a granite company.
But Tavera also makes time to give back to the art community and to young people. He co-founded the local arts group, Grupo Soap del Corazon, which has held 11 exhibitions in the past seven years. In addition, he serves on the board of Progress, a nonprofit that exposes underrepresented children across Minnesota to art.
“It’s essential that kids who probably never have the chance to know this media get free access to play with it,” Tavera says. “Most of all, we are trying for them to think a little bit differently about themselves and their identity, where they come from, and who they are.”
