Bronx-born, Afro-Dominican-American artist, sources syncretic religions and historical references in the African diasporic communities shared experiences, to conceptualize wearable art and site-specific Installations.  Their interfaith and intercountry narrative explores representations of identity and race through the lens of being the "Other."  Drawing connections between black culture in the Caribbean and the United States the artist creates installations of wearable art, video and photography.

In this exhibit Rodriguez shows fragments of her series "We are here, because you were there," inspired by a quote by cultural theorist Stuart Hall a commentary of the existences of a new Black culture created from The New World.  Concentrated in Haitian and Dominican roots and traditions "We are here, because you were there" is an ongoing series which celebrates the Orishas & Loa through the artist interdisciplinary art practice.

Rodriguez is also one of this generation's curators making the efforts to bring artists of the African Diaspora into the forefront by co-curating shows like Resistance, Roots and Truth at the Caribbean Cultural Center and (under)REPRESENT(ed) Parsons Alumni Exhibit both: exhibitions that shed light on the foundational contributions of the African Diasporic communities.

Graduate of Parsons the New School for Design in 2013.  Van Lier Fellowship recipient at Wave Hill 2018, and Fellow from the Caribbean Cultural Center of the African Diaspora 2017.  Her work has been included at Miami Art Basel, Longwood Art Gallery, American Museum of Natural History, Wave Hill, Rush Art Gallery, El Centro Cultural de España and Centro León Biennial in D.R.  Currently teaches at Parsons the New School of Design in NY.

web:  yelainenyc.com