ARTIST:

Zeil Amelie (they/them) is an emerging Mexican-American poet and social justice advocate from Houston, Texas. They are currently enrolled in the Creative Writing program at the High School for Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA) in Houston. Zeil’s family instilled a deep respect for their ancestral cultures, as they descend from Indigenous people native to Texas and Mexico. Zeil was an avid reader and writer from a very young age, drawing influence from Mexican culture, nature, and civil rights history. They are also active in social justice movements, having been featured in educational campaigns against book bans and censorship for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Texas and attended the Texas Abortion Advocacy Network (TAAN) Academy

A man standing on a sidewalk at night holding a shovel, with a fence and house in the background.
Two people in a room, one playing an electric guitar, the other holding a guitar strap and facing away from the camera, back of his shirt reading "DOCUMENTING DIY IN THE HEART OF HOUSTON, TX"
A woman standing on the sidewalk near a street with a blurred dark red car passing by. Behind her is a blue building with a sign that reads 'LAWYER ROGER GARCIA' and an awning labeled 'LAW OFFICE'.

“Deep In East End”

ARTIST STATEMENT:

I love Houston and I've lived everywhere in the Houston area, but East End will always be my home. There's not much talked about the East End area, and it makes me a little upset because there's so much from East End to offer. These photos take place in my neighborhood and focus on the people who are in my life. In the photo of my Welito, he was planting a tree in front of his yard and it felt really nostalgic from when I used to live in Pasadena with him. Now he is my neighbor. My Tia is sitting in front of this law firm that I don't know if it's still open or not, but I always notice it when I'm sitting in one of my favorite cafes, Coral Sword. My friend holding the guitar had band practice with my other friends (Gummywormsillystring is the name of their band) and I asked to join their practice to take a few photos because I wanted to document the Houston scene and the idea that punk is forever in Houston, TX.