Heather Raquel

I attended the opening of the new show at @tallerpr last night and it is glorious (information listed below). The content of my show was dropped off earlier this week and now sits in my living room. I slowly drag a few pieces up the stairs and into the hall until I get the stamina to drag it up to the pull down. Putting together an exhibition in such a short amount of time is exhilarating and terrifying. The adrenaline, the unknown, the puzzle. And here I am on the tail end of that experience. Grateful for the opportunity and proud of myself. A couple people told me this week that they understood Bad BUnny’s performance since they could connect the context of sugar cane to Candyland to Puerto Rico. That meant a lot to me. People took away knowledge and got the opportunity to apply it - and to have it connected to such a momentous Latine occasion…Honored to say the least. The group photo was taken the day of the artist talk. It was snowing a bit and I thought we would blank but a group of heavyweights showed up. I felt so embraced. We topped off the day with some amazing Dominican food. I got a photo with most of us. Now it’s time to explore again. Study, research, decide what gets my attention. Tend to myself, maybe come out of isolation..probably not just yet. In any case, being in this space, this liminality - I can choose a course to travel. What’s the rush? I’ll get there when the time is right, unless I don’t. I include two photos of my grandparents (& my uncle Tito) who are all now my ancestors. I’m in there too- a baby heather during her “suit phase” when she was a young girl selling shoes at the mall. I hope they are proud of me, I hope I followed the path they laid before me- the channels, synchronicity, the guidance to do this work. It was a personal quest and I did my best to show up for it. To close, I’m Sending love to you all today, find it within yourself & share it courageously and generously with your people. I hope I can offer the same, we need it now more than ever. Currently showing at Taller: Jorge Luis Rodríguez: Orisha / Santos – An Artistic Interpretation of the Seven African Powers (check it out!)

Progress in Puerto Rico

#hypemeup #patriots #queercheer #contemporaryart #queerart #cheerleading #artvideo Playing around with some old footage

Had such a fun “Cartrait” session today with the incredible @fototornado which was assisted by none other than @njovn ! So excited/honored to be a part of this body of work. I got all my poses from Lowrider Magazine in the 90’s. #finallyputtogooduse

This Sunday, we come together to honor the life and legacy of Logan Matthew Israel, whose beautiful life was tragically cut short in November 2022. Logan was a sophomore at Academy at Palumbo in Philadelphia at the time of his passing. In his memory, his family has created this fundraiser not only to keep Logan’s spirit alive, but to create something meaningful that continues to impact the lives of others. Our current goal is to raise money to provide scholarships for two graduating Academy at Palumbo seniors who plan to pursue careers in the medical field — a cause rooted in hope, opportunity, and service to others. The family’s vision is for this to establish a foundation in Logan’s name so his legacy can continue supporting young people for years to come. Every donation, share, and show of support helps move that vision forward. We deeply appreciate any contribution you can make. Thank you for helping us honor Logan’s life with purpose, compassion, and community. Come out to celebrate his memory and contribute to a good cause ❤️ Dirty Franks 347 south 13th st (13th and Pine) Phila Pa 3PM - 6PM

Cuuuuute! Contemporary human triangle. #queerimaginings

Join us - Opening reception tonight! 4pm - 6pm @pennlgbt center @gabejmartinez and I have been working hard to curate a phenomenal exhibition of student work from our 6th iteration of our co-taught course, “Queer Imaginings.” Come out and meet the students of this very special cohort while their work is being celebrated as it should. The exhibition is on display for the following week. #queerphilly #queerart

My inspiration, the magical Tommy George!

📸 Heather Raquel✨

Circle Jerks + Gorilla Biscuits TLA from the safety of a VIP balcony 😆 I’ll listen to “Group Sex” fast and furious 14 songs in 15 minutes til the day I die. Glad I finally got to see them live. I hope I’m doing my version of this at this velocity when I’m 70. Lorenzo’s post-show to boot 🍕 @circlejerksband

BIG W! Bought myself a last minute ticket at noon and in my seat by 1 for an opening week game on this beautiful day. I Felt like I was on the field with my boys of summer. THIS was a BASEBALL GAME. High Tension- tying it up at the bottom of the 9th with a Walk off homer in the 10th by the rookie, Crawford FTW 🙌🏽 Reminds me of that team with so much moxy - NOT TO MENTION A RING - in 2007-2009 which also reminds me of this Pitbull track. And this is how we do it! DALE! #philliesbaseball #citizensbankpark #gophils #hotdogculture

The beach, the sun, the ocean. Slow is fast, less is more laid back and intense. Ambiguous Ancestral messages on repeat. Deju vu. Sunshine, beats, beach, music. Draw an archetype - The ocean Visit the archipelago - Lady by the sea. The ocean - feminine, reflecting the Profound vastness of ourselves. Spiritual Above, physical below The shore - masculine, holding the profound vastness of ourselves shadows within and light above work together to create Deep introspection and spiritual transformation. Where there’s light there is shadow. Where there is shadow there is light. It begs the question - Who am I? what is my ultimate truth? Resist standing on the shore, step into the ocean. Your true nature lies hidden in the vast mystery. You will discover a soul level understanding. Let go and befriend the darkness, allow your inner world to expand like the sea. Do it afraid. #paratí