Estefanía Vallejo Santiago

Estefanía Vallejo Santiago (saint electric) is a PhD Candidate in Art History at Florida State University, where she explores visual representations of Puerto Ricanness through decolonial and critical race theory. Her dissertation examines Puerto Rican muralism as a place-making practice that reclaims space, amplifies silenced voices, and asserts cultural and territorial presence in the Caribbean. She highlights how artists transform walls and neighborhoods into living archives that challenge colonial erasure and foster collective memory. Her broader research spans contemporary art, Creole architecture, and Afro-Caribbean aesthetics, focusing on how visual culture shapes spatial belonging. Estefanía is dedicated to recognizing the power of community-based art to reimagine the Puerto Rican (and larger Caribbean) condition through grounded, self-sustaining cultural practices.