HESS

Acrylic, ink, mixed media, works on paper, skateboard decks

Biography

My name is Jessica Rodriguez-Marcano, but I go by Hess. Hess is a play on my name, Jess, where it is pronounced as if read in Spanish where the “J” sounds like the English “H.” I was born and raised in Florida, but my roots are very much Colombian. I have always existed in an unidentifiable area between distinguishable identities. I am not from here nor am I from there. My life so far has been a nonlinear journey in finding where I belong as a white-passing Hispanic progressive Christian who speaks very okay Spanish and is still learning how to have faith under all of life’s circumstances and many existential crises. I call myself an artist, but struggle in doing so confidently because of how conditioned I have been to not adopt a clear label. The past couple of years have tested my ability to hold on to this identity as I had grappled greatly to monetize my creative skillset. Seeking out my own capitalist plot line made me face the harsh reality of existing as a perpetually misunderstood and imposter-syndome-prone person. Despite these weirdly specific struggles in identity and belonging, I have found confidence in knowing that the world will continue to turn and tomorrow will be a new day to try and create.