Mario Rios
I have never done an art project like this one and it was a little challenging to read a story and try to put myself in an individual’s shoes who is suffering from long Covid. I tried to show this persons struggle to navigate their life with not just Covid but also post Covid and how people were being selfish and putting them in a box of an ‘oh well’ attitude, and having to rely on their small support network to get by.
I suffer with mental health issues and during the early part of the pandemic we were on lock down for months with some times only one phone call a week. I had a single cell but feeling like not one of the CO's gave a care what happened to us was very depressing. (this was not the case as [I’m] understanding now how the CO's were trying to navigate the pandemic as well as take care of themselves and their own families; everyone was scared)
Just because some people were minimally affected, doesn't mean the ones that were, post pandemic, should be treated with human dignity just the same.
Rios was born and raised on the west and north sides of Denver, where he’s been drawing since he could pick up a crayon. He’s self-taught, with a curious and creative mind. Rios tries to capture the world around him—from cartoons to cars, to the realities of incarceration and mental illness.
Through Impact Arts and other organizations, Rios has been honored to participate in exhibitions that explore prison spaces and the people within, including shows at SUNY Fredonia, the Museum of Art Fort Collins, the Colorado State Capitol, and a mural project in Denver’s RiNo Art District.
Rio’s Chicano culture, lived experience, and mental health journey inspires much of his work. Art helps him survive; it lifts him out of difficult conditions and allows him to express who he is, and who he’s becoming. Rios hopes people see his art and understand that, even with a painful past, he’s still human, still growing, and still striving to leave a legacy of change.