




I admire Vel as an artist who sheds vital light on the hardships of immigrants in the US via her tasteful blend of jazz, soul, hip hop, and grit. (Frutas is one of her more light-hearted, romantic tracks.) My painting of her channels the inspiring feminine strength that revels in the full colours of handling reality with a firm but understanding grip. || "pull my hair up when I'm servin' eggs/ chop the watermelon, purple grapes/ Fresh piña is my favourite/ the citrus, bursts of amazement/ freshly squeezed juice hit the cold glass/ he watch me walk by with my whole ass"