Manos que pintan, a film by
Rithwick Chary

Monica Curiel is a multidisciplinary artist and designer who transforms construction materials, such as spackling paste and plaster, into relief paintings, art objects, sculptural furniture, and lighting. Born in Dallas to Mexican parents from Jalisco, she was introduced to these materials while working alongside her father on construction sites. These materials, often associated with labor and utility, carry deep cultural significance frequently handled by immigrant workers like her parents, yet are rarely celebrated. Curiel brings her work into spaces connected to her community’s service and labor, honoring those histories through objects of beauty and reverence. Her practice explores themes of identity, visibility, and cultural inheritance, reflecting on the familial and cultural forces that shape her story and community.​