The new exhibit “Bajitas y Suavecitas” at California State University, Northridge (CSUN) celebrates the women makers and leaders in lowrider culture.
Curated by Dr. Denise M. Sandoval, professor of Chicana/o Studies at CSUN and a leading scholar and advocate of lowrider culture, the works explore “Lowrider Feminism” and the gender politics of women creating space for themselves on their own terms.
“I want people to come and not just learn about Chicano history, lowrider culture, but also really center the feminine and explore what it means to be feminist in lowrider culture today,” said Sandoval.
Lowrider cars, known for their detailed paint jobs, hopping hydraulics and extravagant interiors, have been a symbol of empowerment, freedom and cultural identity for the Chicano community since World War II, explained Sandoval. Bajito y suavecito, “low and slow,” a phrase that defines the way of life for the lowrider community, was changed by Sandoval in the exhibition title to instead center the feminine – Bajitas y Suavecitas.
“Women have always been a part of lowriding,” explained Sandoval. “But when I grew up with lowriding … in the 80s and 90s, I mostly saw women as bikini models.”
In the past, women in the community have mostly been portrayed as hyper-sexualized car models or simply as support for their male partners, yet historically women have always owned cars and operated car clubs. The exhibit dismantles those false narratives by showcasing artists whose works highlight how women have established their place as influential drivers, mechanics and painters, in a historically male-dominated field.
The works of artists like Stefanie Murga, Vanessa Torrez and Valerie Vargas showcase their intricate design and paint skills on cars and other objects – skateboards, bikes, toilet seats and jewelry boxes. These women are experts in a practice once seen as a domain for mostly men.
“Being a woman in a male-dominated industry … helps to show other women that they’re able to do this,” said Murga, who has been a custom painter and pinstriper, specializing in lowrider graphics, for the past 16 years.
“We’re infiltrating slowly in the workforce. I see a lot more women now that are, mechanics, or they work at body shops, or they do construction, or they’re in the trades in general,” said Murga. “It’s cool to see the growing interest in spaces that are typically male-dominated.”
Murga always had an interest in cars, and thought she would be a mechanic until she discovered paint detailing while at LA Trade Tech. From there she went to study under the master lowrider painter Danny Galvez, “Danny D,” until 2020, when she started her own business.
“It ties me to my LA roots,” said Murga about working on lowriders, adding that the community has always been open and welcoming to her.
Seeing the finished product is “super rewarding,” she said, “especially knowing the work and time and sacrifice that something like that takes – all the layers and the techniques.”
Depending on the intricacy of the job, Murga said it can sometimes take a year to complete one car. The works on display at CSUN use pearl, flake and leaf techniques, giving depth and dimension to the surface of the materials. Different lighting changes the appearance of the paint, revealing hidden details or adding an iridescent shimmer.
“To finally be done and get to see it drive, see it out in a show or something, or just outside when the sun is hitting it – it’s like, wow!” said Murga. “It just motivates me to keep going.”
Other exhibition artists such as Jacqueline Valenzuela, Irene Shiori and Amanda Lopez highlight real women in the lowrider scene through paintings and photographs – women who cruise the boulevards, go to car shows and are leaders of their communities.
“It’s beautiful to see a lot of the females represented in the art pieces,” said Lorraine Quiñones, a female leader in the contemporary lowrider community. “It’s just beautiful to see a lot of the rucas. Very empowering and inspiring.”
Women have also influenced the culture through their aesthetics and fashion, whether it be the chola identity of the 1990s or the pachuca culture of the 1940s.
Shiori explores multiple mediums from vibrant airbrush, to pastel cutouts and black and gray tattoo work, that represents the intersection of body politics and Chicana style. She draws her “sense of beauty from black and brown women,” incorporating inspiration from her cousin’s style growing up of glistening gold hoops, baby hairs and thin eyebrow shapes.
Her works lead with emotion and vulnerability, showcasing a soft, crybaby, sad girl aesthetic. But Shiori sees strength and growth as being intertwined with heartbreak. Her work illustrates the balance of beauty and sadness, masculine and feminine, hard and soft.
By centering female artists, Shiori said they are able to add to the larger cultural dialogue, changing the narrative and representation of women in the lowrider community.
In addition to the artworks, Sandoval presents a selection of female Zoots Suits and Lowrider magazines that add historical context for the viewer.
Pachucxs Revisited
In a smaller gallery next door, the exhibit “Pachucxs Revisited,” organized by Self Help Graphics & Art, complements the larger show with prints that celebrate the iconography of the pachuca – a figure that disrupted tradition and gender expectations.
Priscilla Hernandez’s print titled “Hecho en Los Angeles” centers a large image of a pachuca in a blue suit, surrounded by the male presence of punks, lowriders, santa muerte and police – at times clashing cultures that are intertwined with one another in the fabric of LA.
“It has to do with the pachuca as this beautiful and strong female presence, that’s kind of surrounded by all these chaotic, crazy things that are LA,” said Hernandez.
“I mirrored the pachuca with the Virgin Mary,” she continued. “She’s a symbol of resistance, motherhood and beauty, but also is somebody that we pray to. So there’s an element of strength in it too.”
Even though these scenes may be perceived as male-dominated, Hernandez said there are plenty of nonbinary and female pioneers in these spaces.
“We just have this idea that these are masculine things, but on the contrary, I feel like they’re started and created by the opposite,” said Hernandez. “It’s just a history that’s untold.”
Both exhibits are free to visit and on view through March 15 at the Art Galleries at CSUN.
CSUN Art Galleries,
18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge, CA 91330
Monday & Tuesday: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Wednesday & Thursday: 12 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Friday & Saturday: By appointment for group visits
How would I go about to see if I can exhibit my wife’s Lowrider car in the gallery.
Thank you Art