Dr. Xandra Ibarra

Biography

Xandra Ibarra works under the alias La Chica Boom and is an Oakland-based artist with a focus on performance, video, and sculpture, addressing themes of abjection, joy, borders, and the experiences of racialized, gendered, and queer subjects. Her work has been exhibited at notable institutions such as the Broad Museum in Los Angeles, ExTeresa Arte Actual in Mexico City, and the Leslie-Lohman Museum in New York City. Recognized with several awards including the Creative Capital Award and the Queer Art Prize, Ibarra has contributed to academic discussions and critiques in publications like Artforum and Frieze. As a community organizer, she has actively participated in feminist movements and organizations such as INCITE! and Survived and Punished, advocating for anti-rape and prison abolitionist principles. Ibarra has taught a variety of courses in Ethnic Studies, Sexuality Studies, and Art Practice/Studio History at several universities, including Stanford University and UC Berkeley. She holds an MFA in Art Practice from the University of California, Berkeley, and an MA in Ethnic Studies from San Francisco State University, with further studies in Post-Colonial Studies from Universitat Rovira i Virgili in Spain.

Research Interests