Alicia Rocha
Mi amigo Axolotl
acrylic paint, 2025
You can see more of Alicia’s art on Instagram.
I believe art can deepen our understanding of ourselves and others, makes us heal and subsequently the world we live in.
My paintings are a reflection of my inner landscape where creatures go through a transmutation to become a friendly totem even though they emerge out of deep fears and emotions, such as loneliness (the whale), anxiety (the jellyfish) or resilience (the axolotl).
Alicia Rocha is a self-taught artist from Mexico, who came to Nelson nearly eight years ago.
The axolotl is an endangered species endemic to Mexico. One of its peculiarities is that can regenerate its body parts; if someone cuts off his tail or limbs, they grow back again. Alicia has used the axolotl as an analogy of the resilience that migrants must have to create a new life in a foreign land. It is a tribute to new beginnings.
Alicia started making art as part of her recovery from a terrible concussion. She started going to Magenta Creative Space where she painted her first mural, followed by the this one on New Street, and a commissioned mural for Rainbow Kitchen on Hardy Street.
Alicia is a psychologist, currently working with Cultural Conversations and with the Nelson Women’s Centre as an external specialised service offering affordable therapy for the migrant/Latin community.
Huge thanks to NEL (Nelson Electricity Limited) for supporting our artists to transform their boxes! And even more thanks and love to Quin Dental Nelson for supporting this project.
Examples of Alicia’s work.
