Surfed Here: The Journey Exhibited at the House of the Americas for the First Inter-American Mental Health Week

As part of the First Inter-American Mental Health Week of the Organization of American States (OAS), the second edition of Surfed Here: The Journey is being exhibited at the House of the Americas in Washington, D.C.

This exhibition features never-before-seen pieces that explore the darker and more intimate stages of mental health. The works — “Inhibited,” “Falling into the Unknown,” “Resistance,” “Acceptance,” and “Flowing in Presence” — form a visual narrative that mirrors the internal tides we all face at different points in life.

Presented in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of El Salvador and the Permanent Mission of El Salvador to the OAS, led by Ambassador Wendy Acevedo, this exhibition highlights the importance of mental health, expression, and cultural dialogue. It stands as a reminder that art is not only a means of creation, but also of connection, healing, and understanding.

As I shared during the exhibition, “One of the fundamental aspects of mental health is communication — to speak, to open up, and to share in order to identify what is happening within us. Yet we are such deep and complex beings that words often fall short in expressing exactly what we feel.”

For me, painting has always been a way to bridge that gap between emotion and language. As I often say, “I need to paint first, so that I can later find the words.”

Through this collection, I hope to invite viewers to see that even in darkness, there is movement — and in movement, there is always light.