Award winning artist, poet, and playwright, Raquel Valle Senties, exhibited her Chicana Portrait Series on Tuesday, September 20, 2016 at the Sue and Radcliffe Killam Library at Texas A&M International University (TAMIU). People gathered around to admire her artwork and listened attentively as she read some of her many poems.
TAMIU student, Melissa, says, “I’m glad I got to explore her art right here on campus. She represents who I am, she represents my culture. I can especially relate to her through her poetry.”
Melissa became familiar with Valle-Senties’s work a couple months ago. “My stepmother shared her book with me and I couldn’t put it down. I read [Soy Como Soy Y Que] with a cup of coffee on a Saturday morning and I instantly felt connected to Valle-Senties. Being able to see her artwork and hear her read her poetry was a wonderful experience.”
Valles-Senties was born in Laredo and later moved to Veracruz, Mexico where she resided for 23 years. One of her most notable works is Soy Como Soy Y Que, a collection of poems she wrote about life in Laredo and Veracruz. Her artwork and poetry identify with Chicano lifestyle and what it means to be Hispanic. She attended Texas Women’s University majoring in art.
Today she lives in her hometown, Laredo, TX and is a mother to five sons. Valle-Senties’s visit was one of many events that will take place on campus in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month.
