A Chicana feminist art group discussed their new art project for Fresno State students at the Henry Madden Library on Wednesday as part of Hispanic Heritage Month.

Introducing the exhibit were artists Kristen Gamez, Mari Hernandez, and Sarah Castillo who make up the feminist art group, Mas Rudas.

Mas meaning ‘more of’ and Rudas meaning ‘crude,’ the group is an all-female organization from San Antonio, Texas that focuses on raising discussion of female gender-based stereotypes through their art.

The three spoke to a room full of students about the exhibition called “Ruda Phat: Art, Feminism and Body Image” and discussed their TEDxSanAntonio talk on “Redefining Beauty.”

“Ruda Phat at the Institute of Texan Cultures is about body image and confronting the effects of mainstream media,” said Hernandez.

The exhibition was aimed to reflect on their own experiences regarding their bodies, and the artists wrote down daily reflections to further assist them in their artwork process. All four artists felt the exhibition was appropriate in displaying the theme that each individual has their own insecurities that can be driven from societal norms and mainstream media.

Since 2009, Mas Rudas has been exhibiting their artwork and have created seven exhibitions for the public so far.

“With every single exhibition, what’s really important is that we all have the opportunity to put in our own idea, our own perspective and so we have that freedom to speak from our own experience,” said Gamez.

The new exhibition is based off their lives in San Antonio and includes images of obese women, body fat and deformity to reflect the perceptions the artists have of themselves.

Many schools have done field trips to view Mas Rudas’ exhibits and in return, the collective, to make sure that their artwork is kept appropriate for children. Although the definition of art can be up for debate, “Ruda Phat” displays some nudity in an artistic manner to have the viewer “try and come to some sort of consensus” of what can be called crude.

Their goal is to challenge others to think about their own perspectives and what they may feel about their own body image.
Mas Rudas discussed the creations and its process within the exhibit, including the colors of the walls and the structure of the art pieces on those walls.

The exhibit was brought to campus by the women’s studies program, the art and design department and Associated Students, Inc.