Cece Carpio is an artist, educator, and community organizer whose work is grounded in social justice, cultural empowerment, and public engagement. With a background in mural painting and illustration, Carpio's practice explores themes of identity, migration, resilience, and collective liberation through large-scale visual narratives and community-centered processes.
Her work focuses on amplifying the histories and experiences of marginalized communities, particularly those within Indigenous and immigrant diasporas. Her projects integrate visual art, storytelling, and participatory methodologies to foster dialogue, reflection, and cultural continuity. She approaches art-making as a collaborative practice that prioritizes accessibility, relationship-building, and community voice.
Through public murals, workshops, and interdisciplinary projects, she creates platforms for cultural expression and shared learning. Her work engages issues of social equity, ancestral memory, and belonging, using art as a means to challenge dominant narratives and to support community-led storytelling. These initiatives emphasize the role of creative practice in strengthening cultural identity and civic participation.
Her interdisciplinary approach bridges visual art and social practice, combining aesthetic rigor with community-based research and engagement. Her work has been presented in public spaces, educational settings, and cultural institutions, contributing to broader conversations on art as a tool for social change.
Through her ongoing practice, Carpio continues to develop projects that center collaboration, cultural sustainability, and collective imagination, working toward more inclusive and equitable futures informed by community knowledge and lived experience.
This artist page was last updated on: 04.22.2026
Watermelon by Cece Carpio, one-day activation on September 27, 2024. Tempera Paint on Cement Floor, featuring performers amara tabor smith and Courtney Desiree Morris. San Francisco Arts Commission Galleries.
Video by Jenny Chu.
On Indigenous Land: The Story of Rinihmu Pulte’irekne by Cece Carpio, 2024. Acrylic on Wall, 160 sq ft. Woodminster Cascade in Joaquin Miller Park, Oakland (Territory of Huchiun) In partnership with Sogorea Te' Land Trust. Presented by the City of Oakland and Friends of Joaquin Miller Park.
Image courtesy of the artist.
"Love and Protect" mural series by Cece Carpio, 2021. Multimedia, dimensions variable. Lincoln Square Park at Oakland Chinatown. In collaboration with Civic Design studio and Trust Your Struggle Artist Collective.
Image courtesy of the artist.