Nathan Hosmer Nevarez is a visual artist whose work challenges the traditional conceptions of demons, transforming them from symbols of fear and malice into nuanced, multifaceted beings. Drawing on his experience as a queer child of an Ecuadorian immigrant, Nevarez explores the mythologies of demons through paintings that offer alternative narratives to the often one-dimensional portrayals in mainstream culture. His work delves into the complex histories and origins of those who are marginalized or misunderstood, shedding light on their stories and the systems that label them as "other."
Nevarez’s art is heavily influenced by his time in Cuenca, Ecuador during his Fulbright Grant, where he encountered the Chuzalongo myth—a legend from southern Ecuador that depicts a blue-eyed, blonde-haired demon born from the violent colonial legacy of Spanish men raping Indigenous women. This myth, created to absolve the perpetrators of their crimes, forms the basis of Nevarez's exploration into how societies create and manipulate the identities of demons to maintain power dynamics and control.
In addition to the Chuzalongo myth, the forest fires that ravaged Ecuador during the summer and fall of 2024 also shaped Nevarez’s artistic practice. He was drawn to the destructive yet necessary power of fire, which he incorporates into his work as a metaphor for continual transformation of the demon myth, molding itself into whoever society fears. This imagery, combined with the kaleidoscopic colors and lighting found in queer clubs—spaces of refuge and expression for queer individuals, often labeled as "demons" by society—creates portals within Nevarez's paintings, where his demon figures can exist freely, outside of societal constraints.
