Public Speaker about Social Issues within Latinx Communities and Sexual Health. The painter Diego Rivera once said, “The role of the artist is that of the soldier of the revolution.” Apontesierra believes that this succinct statement underscores the powerful role that art can play in socio-political uprisings and has motivated him to become an activist artist using creativity as a weapon to fight for justice and health equity and equality. Rivera’s words resonate particularly with artists’ responses to the HIV and AIDS crises. The initial outbreak of the pandemic in the early ’80s galvanized artists to channel their fear, sadness, and outrage into activist work to publicly address issues of inequality and discrimination, which ultimately enacted change at the legislative level. Today, with the crisis far from over, artists like Apontesierra continue to use art as a tool to examine the ongoing fight against HIV and AIDS.
