Food is Pride: Santa Mercita

Santa Mercita

Artist Bio:

Santa Mercita (@santamercita) is the artist name gifted to Thania Guerra by her ancestors. Born in Siguatepeque, Honduras, and now based in Seattle, Washington, she is a self-taught graphic designer, illustrator, and multidisciplinary artist whose work centers storytelling as a form of self-actualization and collective liberation.

Her practice is rooted in ancestral knowledge and cultural memory, drawing inspiration from the richness of her Central American heritage. With family origins in Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador, Santa Mercita weaves the sacred into her work. Symbols like coffee, bay leaves, garlic, rice, and the elements appear throughout her pieces, offering protection, abundance, and remembrance. The name “Honduras”, meaning “depths”, speaks to her intimate relationship with water and the life it sustains. Her color palettes, vibrant and intentional, reflect the bold energy of her roots.

Working primarily with acrylic on canvas and digital illustration, Santa Mercita explores themes of racialization, the sacredness of sexuality, trauma, inner worlds, pop culture, and HERstory. Each piece becomes a portal, a visual language that connects longing, memory, and possibility.

A lifelong artist, she began expressing herself through drawing and doodling as a child. Living with ADHD made traditional school settings difficult, and art became both an outlet and a tool for focus—a way to process information and release energy. She taught herself to paint in high school and later, in 2017, began mastering the digital illustration app Procreate. Her dedication to refining her craft eventually led her to create hyper-realistic portraits, showcase her work in local art shows, and receive commissions for custom illustrations and small business branding.

As her skills evolved, she began supporting minority-owned businesses by designing branding materials that uplift identity and narrative. Today, she works as a communications specialist and graphic designer for a food justice organization serving Latine communities in Burien, Washington. This work allows her to connect deeply with her community, creating visual stories that build access, trust, and empowerment.

Santa Mercita’s creative practice is inseparable from her purpose. She is committed to working alongside community-rooted people and organizations, using art as a tool for healing, resistance, and liberation. Her work is both personal and collective, a bridge between the wisdom of her ancestors and the future she dreams of building.

Artist Statement:

One of my earliest memories of food is helping my grandmother prep vegetables in the kitchen as a toddler. As I created this piece, I sought to honor my heritage and the women in my family who dedicated their lives to nourishing generations. I come from Honduras, and I want to celebrate the campesinos in my lineage and the sacred connection between land, love, and care.

At the center of my illustration is a Central American woman representing my ancestors. She is surrounded by sacred foods: corn, which signifies our origins; beans and rice, symbols of survival; bay leaves for protection; and sardines for resilience. My queer identity is woven into this piece, representing healing and power while honoring those who couldn’t fully express themselves. My joy and visibility are a tribute to them, a promise that “your dreams are safe with me.”

Food is a language of survival, culture, love, and dignity.

#ArtistsForFoodJustice: Twelve Washington artists from Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) communities and marginalized identities interpret our monthly Meaning of Food themes through original digital artwork, premiering on the first day of each month. Learn more about this series and the artists here.