Joanna Cardenas is an interdisciplinary artist and educator based in Phoenix, Arizona. Originally from the border town of San Luis, Arizona, her work is shaped by the Spanish phrase “ni de aquí, ni de allá”—where identity is fluid and belonging is never fixed. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Art Education from The University of Arizona, has over a decade of experience teaching high school art, and is currently pursuing her Master of Fine Arts in Ceramics at Fort Hays State University.

She transforms childhood memories and traditional Mexican symbolism into surreal, immersive forms that explore identity, belonging, and emotional inheritance. She seeks to learn traditional Mexican craft and materials as both reference and reinvention to create work that feels intimate yet uncanny.

Much like her experience of not fully belonging to one place or another, Cardenas doesn’t limit herself to one medium and instead lets ideas guide how the work is made, through experimentation and play. This philosophy extends into her classroom, where she encourages students to experiment, take risks, and innovate beyond limitation. “Be the mischief.”

Her work often takes shape through immersive installations and symbolic animal hybrids that invite participation and encourage viewers to physically and emotionally engage with themes of memory, connection, and transformation.