Artist’s Statement: This artwork is one of a series of portraits of Americans whose actions for social justice helped create a better life for people of color and working people in the United States. Cesar Chavez (1927-1993) founded the United Farm Workers’ Union, which brought to light the inhumane working conditions of agricultural workers and organized them to demand justice and decent working conditions.

I “paint” with the buttons, picking and choosing colors, shapes, and sizes in order to create a portrait which is not necessarily an exact likeness, but which evokes the spirit of each person. My portrait of Chavez contains many elements including buttons and beads in the shape of fruits and vegetables harvested by farm workers, toy cutlery, a United Farm Workers’ Union button, and Mexican milagros.