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Manuel Davila
Literary Arts; Media Arts: Graphic Artist, Media/Visual Communications, Producer, Radio/Television Talent, Voiceover; Multi-Disciplinary: Multiple Art Forms, Performer and Writer; Performing Arts: Actor, Director, Performance Art, Spoken Word Artist, Storyteller; Teaching Artist/Instructor; Visual Arts: Artisan, Ceramist, Conservation/Restoration, Constructions/Collage, Craftsperson, Jeweler, Maker, Mixed Media Artist, Muralist, Painter, Printmaker, Textiles; Plant-based colors and dyes
Manuel Davila, a 2Spirit Coahuiltecan tradition keeper native to Yanaguana (San Antonio, Texas), combines their expertise as a horticulturist, herbalist, and pharmacist to educate the community about the beneficial native flora of the region. Currently serving as the Cultural Arts Manager at American Indians in Texas at the Spanish Colonial Missions (AIT-SCM), Manuel focuses on preserving the cultural heritage of the Tap Pilam Coahuiltecan Nation. Their work emphasizes raising awareness of South Texas indigenous arts and culinary traditions, guided by a decolonial approach to the history of Yanaguana/San Antonio.
Manuel is also a dedicated community organizer, contributing to campaigns on immigration, heritage nutrition, land restoration, and climate sustainability over the past decade. They have represented San Antonio at significant events such as the Celebration of Basketry and Native Food Gathering, as well as the 2017 People’s Climate March in Washington D.C. Manuel’s impactful contributions have been featured in renowned publications including the New York Times, San Antonio Express News, SA Current, The Washington Post, Democracy Now, The Albuquerque Journal, The Rivard Report, Edible Magazine, and NBA.com.
Resume (PDF)
MORE ABOUT THIS ARTIST
Artist Type: Literary Arts; Media Arts: Graphic Artist, Media/Visual Communications, Producer, Radio/Television Talent, Voiceover; Multi-Disciplinary: Multiple Art Forms, Performer and Writer; Performing Arts: Actor, Director, Performance Art, Spoken Word Artist, Storyteller; Teaching Artist/Instructor; Visual Arts: Artisan, Ceramist, Conservation/Restoration, Constructions/Collage, Craftsperson, Jeweler, Maker, Mixed Media Artist, Muralist, Painter, Printmaker, Textiles; Plant-based colors and dyes
Artist Statement of Work
Tell us about your work (style, approach, philosophy, subject and/or theme):
My artistic vision and personal practice are to continue to uplift the decolonial histories of Yanaguana, the ancestral name of the San Antonio River and surrounding land, and the elders who have preserved our cultural practices. The slow process of collecting pigments from the Earth and river, processing them into a fine powder to reconstitute into paints, transports me to place myself in my not-so-distant relatives headspace.
My inspiration comes from the myriad of rock art sites in Texas and Coahuila that are still honored by my community as windows into our ancestor’s world and wisdom.
Many of my works incorporate symbols, colors, and themes that connect to the imagery of South Texas that was originally inspired by these important sites. Creating a practice founded in natural materials helps with my vision of land and river stewardship to create art that has limited impact on the natural world around us.
The shades of yellow in my work are ferric oxide, sienna ochre and the shades of reds are made of iron oxide ochre. I make my own inks from the gall of mesquite and oak trees to make black pigment ink for lines and details.
These are the same raw materials my ancestors used to paint the frescos that adorned the walls of the historic buildings they erected during the forced missionization period; some frescos are still visible today over 300 years later.
How do I convey messages and lessons for future generations to interpret? Rock art is a manifestation of the human impulse to communicate that transcends time or language barriers and my hope is to share that expression in contemporary spaces as well. While many study these images to only understand the past, my hope is that my work helps my community see a map of where we are going just as much as where we have been. Naletzam (Gratitude)
