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Maria de los Angeles's art documents the lives of the undocumented

Artist Maria de los Angeles on how her experience as an undocumented immigrant inspires her art pieces.
A photo from artist Maria de los Angeles's 'Illegal Fashion' runway show in New York last month. (Cheyenne Coleman)

For years, Maria de Los Angeles was a bystander to her own future. 

See, the Mexican-born artist illegally immigrated to the United States at the age of 11 and, as an undocumented immigrant, she faced a number of hurdles. From getting scholarships to travelling, de Los Angeles faced countless restrictions.

She has since put a lot of her personal experiences into her art and her works have garnered a lot of attention for its political messages. "I can't remove my issues from my work," she says, before clarifying that she is not an activist, though, but an artist. "It's dangerous to be who I am."    

Web extra: below are some examples of Maria de Los Angeles's work. 

An art piece by Maria de Los Angeles. (Courtesy of Maria de Los Angeles)
An art piece by Maria de Los Angeles (Courtesy of Maria de Los Angeles)
A photo from artist Maria de los Angeles's 'Illegal Fashion' runway show in New York last month. (Cheyenne Coleman)
A photo from artist Maria de los Angeles's 'Illegal Fashion' runway show in New York last month. (Cheyenne Coleman)

— Produced by Dawna Dingwall