MATA RUDA (b. 1989) is an artist/activist/archivist who currently lives in Newark, NJ. He was born in San Jose, Costa Rica and lived in Caracas, Venezuela until he was 11, then immigrating to the USA. Using iconography from both sides of the border, he has painted a variety of murals and paintings that empower immigrant and overlooked communities and cultures. His work has been part of Newark Museum, El Museo Barrio, The Painted Desert Project, and Calle 13's Multi_Viral. By charting the violences that occur around the United States/Mexico border, and celebrating the resilient spirits of those who attempt to cross it, his artwork monumentalizes the many facets of the immigrant experience.