Currently based in Oak Cliff – Dallas, TX, Victoria Gonzales was originally born and raised in San Antonio, Texas. Gonzales’ work is intimately connected to her familial and cultural identity. Through mixed media painting and ceramics, Gonzales’ work explores the complex narratives hidden in the everyday – recalling and reshaping memories of family, ritual, and the landscape of the artist’s upbringing. 

Drawing on Gonzales’ Mexican American upbringing and ties to Catholicism, the narrative works include symbolic elements from Catholic imagery and traditional metalwork found in the neighborhoods of the Gonzales’ hometown. Gonzales' paintings depict the sharing of meals, tending to daily responsibilities such as caring for family chickens, connecting to nature and seeking spiritual connection through the lighting of candles. Intertwining these elements in triptych paintings embedded with traditional religious symbols, the reimagined altars emphasize community, unity, and daily routine as a new form of ritual and worship.  

Gonzales holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Baylor University and a Master of Fine Arts in Drawing and Painting from the University of North Texas. In 2020, Gonzales was awarded first place in the Texas National Competition and Exhibition and has exhibited throughout Texas including a solo show at Arts Fort Worth in 2022 and Pencil on Paper Gallery in 2023. Gonzales has also juried exhibitions with the 500x Gallery, Art Room, Greater Denton Arts Council, and the Center for Contemporary Arts. Most recently Gonzales exhibited at the William Campbell Gallery in Fort Worth, TX and the Dallas Art Fair. Gonzales is currently an Assistant Professor of Art at Tarrant County College Northwest. 

The Oak Cliff Cultural Center is a division of the City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture and is located at 223 W. Jefferson Blvd., Dallas, TX 75208 next to the historic Texas Theater. Operating hours are from Noon to 6 p.m., Tuesday-Saturday. For additional information please visit: occc.dallasculture.org