Roxanne Márquez (they/she) is an interdisciplinary Chicana artist and scientist based in Albuquerque, NM. They are focused on creating art that communicates our (meta)physical entanglements with ecological processes and with other organisms. The majority of their work is process-based and research-based, involving decomposable materials, natural dyes, textiles, drawing, creative writing, scientific research, and often extends into collaboration with soil, fungi, bacteria, plants, humans, and other animals. They draw on their experiences within ecological research to create art that incorporates themes of decomposition and healing through the restorative visceral experiences of the body and the land. Roxanne is ever-inspired by the ecocultural futures and histories that are continually sown into the soils we stand on and strives to continue this deep investigation of our intertwinement with the land. By leaning into the intersections of biology, social justice, and art, they strive to contribute to broader-scale change that prioritizes restoration of self, the land, and our relationships with other beings — regardless of species.
Roxanne received her B.S. in Biology with a minor in Studio Arts at the University of New Mexico, where she completed a biology honors thesis on how microbial addition to biocrusts can restore degraded soils and promote resistance to heat stress under climate change. Through all 4 years of her Bachelor's degree, she worked at the Rudgers Lab, learning how to conduct field and lab-based research concerning climate change, soil health, plant-microbe interactions, and fungi. Roxanne has received multiple fellowship awards for her research including the NSF REU at the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge in 2021. Additionally, she received a fellowship position in 2024 to work as a Soil Health Planner in collaboration with local Albuquerque farmers, helping further her understanding of soil health. With an interest in social justice, she worked as a mentor at the UNM Women’s Resource Center, advocating for a campus culture that uplifts people of historically underrepresented backgrounds and providing one-on-one support to incoming freshmen. Roxanne also completed an Art & Social Justice apprenticeship at Harwood Art Center in 2023, which taught her skills in tile-making and collaborating with other artists to design and install a mosaic in the International District of Albuquerque.