ABOUT THE  HEALING NATURE OF  ART.
>> ALEX, A LOCAL ART STUDENT IS  USING HER ARTWORK TO EXPLORE  HER RELIGIOUS UPBRINGING.
IT   IS A PROCESS ABOUT FOUR YEARS   IN THE MAKING  AFTER SEVERAL  YEARS OF TRAUMA.
NOW SHE IS   USING ART AS A TOOL  TO MOVE   FORWARD.
>>  MY PARENTS DID NOT GROW UP   WITH A LOT OF MONEY.
WE DO NOT   GO TO ART MUSEUMS.
THE CHURCH  BECAME THE ART MUSEUM.
THE   STAINED-GLASS AND THE COLORFUL  IMAGERY BECAME THE VISUAL  LANGUAGE  WHEN I FIRST STARTED   PRACTICING DRAWING.
I STARTED   WITH RELIGIOUS FIGURES  BECAUSE  I WANTED TO MAKE MY PARENTS   PROUD.
>> BUT JACKIE SAYS HER   RELATIONSHIP WITH RELIGION   DRAMATICALLY CHANGED  DURING   HER TEENAGE YEARS.
>> CATHOLICISM IN GENERAL IS   LIKE SO PREVALENT IN BEING LIKE  LATINO.
IT IS KIND OF, IT IS  REALLY HARD TO SEPARATE THE  TWO.
THERE WAS A PERIOD OF TIME  WHERE MY MOM  THOUGHT THAT I   WAS POSSESSED BY SOMETHING.
SHE THOUGHT  OUR WHOLE FAMILY  WAS BEING ATTACKED BY DEMONS OF  SOME SORT, AND IT WAS VERY HARD  TO WATCH MY  MOM AND FAMILY IN   GENERAL GO THROUGH THIS  STAGE   OF MADNESS.
>>  SHE SAYS IT WOULD SOON  REACH A BREAKING POINT.
>> AFTER A COUPLE OF YEARS OF   GOING THROUGH CONSTANTLY BEING   TOLD THAT THERE IS A DEMON IN   YOU, THE CATALYST WAS MY MOM  HAD  AN EXORCISM DONE ON ME, SO  I HAD TO BE CLEANSED, IN HER  WORDS .
AFTER THE EXORCISM WAS  DONE, SHE KIND OF LIKE, FOR HER  IT WAS HEALING, BUT FOR ME IT   WAS THE COMPLETE OPPOSITE.
>> SHE WOULD GO ON TO USE HER  ART  NOT ONLY TO PROCESS WHAT   HAD HAPPENED TO HER, BUT AS A   TOOL TO BOTH HEAL AND FORGIVE.
>>  THERE ARE LITTLE SYMBOLS IN  MY PIECES, LIKE THE  LINE IS   REOCCURRING AND IN THE EXORCISM  SHE HAD TO  RUB ME WITH THE   LIME AND CANDLES AND I USE THAT  AS A  SYMBOL TO REPRESENT BOTH  THE  EXORCISM, CLEANSING, BUT  ALSO  THE OPPOSITE OF  CLEANSING.
>>  PORTRAYING HER THAT    CHICKENS ARE ANOTHER IMPORTANT   THEME.
>>  AND IN GENERAL SHOW  AND   UNCONDITIONAL LOVE THAT I  APPRECIATE.
THEY HELPED ME   RECONNECT WITH THAT HISTORY   THAT I HAVE IN MEXICO, AND  MY   IDENTITY.
THAT HAS BEEN THE ONE  THING  CHICKENS IN GENERAL HAVE  BEEN THE ONE THING THAT HELPS   ME CONNECT.
>> SHE SAYS HER JOURNEY IS VERY  MUCH A PROCESS.
SHE NOW   IDENTIFIES AS AGNOSTIC AND .
>> WHAT YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE   THESE DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF  YOURSELF?
>> INTERESTING.
I SEE A LITTLE  SADNESS IN THEM, BUT I AM ALSO  HOPEFUL.
THERE IS ONE IN THE   CORNER AND I AM HOLDING  HER   HAND.
I FEEL SADNESS BUT ALSO   HAPPINESS FOR THEM BECAUSE    THAT VERSION IS LIKE A BABY  VERSION OF ME.
I FEEL BAD FOR   IT, BECAUSE I KNOW  WHAT THE   PAST VERSION IS GOING TO GO   THROUGH BUT I ALSO FEEL HAPPY   BECAUSE I KNOW WHERE I AM NOW.