Nicólas González-Medina believes his art belongs in the streets, amplifying the often unheard voices of people like him: queer, undocumented immigrants.

On Saturday morning, González-Medina’s art will become part of the movement that will once again protect and defend immigrant rights in San Francisco and beyond. Advocates and community members will gather at the Mission’s 24th and Bryant Streets at 11am for a “Day of Resistance” demonstration, marching with a large banner, posters and t-shirts created by González-Medina’s latest piece, “Somos La Resistencia.”

The design was created with a woodblock, intricately carved to depict a two-spirit figure wearing an earring that reads “Resist,” with the letter “I” cleverly designed as the hook to the earlobe. The words “Somos La” curve above the figure’s head and hand, while “Resistencia” sits boldly beneath the hand, symbolizing empowerment and resilience. 

The hand-carved woodblock by artist Nicólas González-Medina, designed for T-shirts and posters at an upcoming protest, in his Oakland studio on Jan. 14, 2025. Photo: Pablo Unzueta for El Tecolote/CatchLight Local

Ahead of the protest, the 38-year-old Oakland-based artist guided young people as they pressed the woodblock design with black ink on garments inside the Brava Theatre on Monday night. In partnership with Karla Castillo, co-founder of the youth arts group Loco Bloco, the workshop was a way “to show the youth another form of art,” González-Medina said. “We printed about 100 shirts.”

“For me, this is so important to have one another in support of each other,” said Jose Sánchez, 18, during the workshop. Sánchez is studying at San Francisco International, a small city school that offers opportunities to newcomers. “It shows that here we are, unified.”

Artist Nicólas González-Medina, 38, helps a youth press down on a woodblock for a T-shirt inside the Brava Theatre in San Francisco, Calif., on Jan. 13, 2025. Photo: Pablo Unzueta for El Tecolote/CatchLight Local

For years, González-Medina has transformed public spaces into platforms for activism combined with art. From murals and wheatpasted prints to banners for immigrant rights demonstrations, his art tells stories of resilience and resistance, uniting communities across the Bay Area and beyond.

His journey began in 1992, when his family migrated from Mexico to Chicago. He started taking art classes in elementary school and publicly showcased his paintings for the first time at age 12. But tragedy shaped his path: after losing his mother to cancer when he was only 18, and his father a few years later, González-Medina channeled his grief into activism.

His 20s were spent immersed in immigrant rights movements across the United States, staging hunger strikes, sit-ins and civil disobedience actions, including a march to the Montgomery State House in Alabama. He recalls organizing outreach initiatives to educate communities about their rights. “The reason ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] gets a lot of people is because they don’t know their rights,” he said.

Details of artist Nicólas González-Medina’s political artwork in his Oakland studio on Jan. 14, 2025. Photo: Pablo Unzueta for El Tecolote/CatchLight Local

Even during this period of intense activism, his creative output never stopped. González-Medina painted banners and made posters for every action, weaving art into his activism. “My art wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for all my activism,” he said.

In 2012, González-Medina joined a 3,000-mile march from San Francisco to Washington, D.C., to fight for the Dream Act. Although the journey was cut short by legal battles stemming from a civil disobedience arrest in Alabama, his commitment never faltered. By 2018, he moved to Oakland and decided to embrace life as a full-time artist, leaving behind gallery work to focus on empowering communities directly. “It’s not for money; it’s for the message, and my art is to empower young people,” he said.

Freshly printed T-shirts using a woodblock created by artist Nicólas González-Medina hang inside the Brava Theatre in San Francisco, Calif., on Jan. 13, 2025. Photo: Pablo Unzueta for El Tecolote/CatchLight Local

For many people, marching with freshly printed shirts on Saturday embodies collective strength, reaffirming San Francisco’s commitment to providing refuge and support for undocumented immigrants while spotlighting the pivotal role artists play in amplifying political movements.

As González-Medina adds the final touches to a large carpet banner that will lead the demonstration, he reflects on his purpose: “This is what I dreamed,” he said. “I’m living my dream… Son las ganas que tengo.”

Nicólas González-Medina’s art is part of the movement to protect and defend immigrant rights in San Francisco and beyond. Photo: Pablo Unzueta for El Tecolote/CatchLight Local

Pablo Unzueta is a first generation Chilean-American photojournalist documenting health equity, the environment, culture and displacement amongst the Latino population in the Bay Area for El Tecolote....