As queer body that was raised in a post-colonial context in Colombia, Arango Palacios's identity was shaped in the shadows of North American normativity. Their sense of self was further confounded by a series of migrations that their family experience in search of work and a more prosperous future. Moving through varying homophobic and misogynistic cultures in Louisiana and Texas, they have formed a disembodied identity that is not attached to any specific homeland and has always been challenged by the general norm.
Juan's practice works towards addressing the lived experiences of ambulant queer identities that have been marginalized within a diasporic or migratory context. Through the fluid and boundless medium of paint, they have been able to represent memories,places, people, and archetypes that they associate with the safety, survival, and endurance of queer bodies in spaces that challenge their existence. Also, through the process of weaving they are producing narrative objects that aim at expressing the stories of individuals within a similar context. Placing emphasis on color and composition, Juan's work aims at creating images glorifying and fantasizing the idea of safety in a queer experience.