SAN ANTONIO, TX.- Rooted in fiber, folklore and family storytelling, “Angelica Raquel: Mystic Threads” explores the space where reality and imagination intersect. The solo exhibition by San Antonio-based multidisciplinary artist Angelica Raquel showcases 18 works, including fiber sculptures, paintings and immersive installations, at the
McNay Art Museum from Jan. 29-July 5.
Raquel (American, b. 1993) conjures a visual world of childhood memories, dreams, urban legends and ancestral lore drawn from her upbringing in Laredo, Texas. Human-animal hybrids appear, while sculptural figures invite viewers in with soft-felted bodies, adorned surfaces and vivid colors. Acting as a new generational storyteller, Raquel creates narratives that bridge the past and present.
“Storytelling is like time travel. In this exhibition, I take what has been an oral practice at social gatherings — from sleepovers to campfire circles — and make it visual. The materials echo girlhood, the time in my life I had the privilege of hearing so many of my family’s tales,” said Raquel. “Fiber called to me so fervently because of its duality: soft and comforting and yet durable and full of sharp tools that bite.”
“There is a beautiful sort of intimacy with fiber-based art; the repetition, the time and labor-intensive, hands-on quality of it is intrinsically intertwined and observable in the finished product,” said Liz Paris, the McNay’s curator of collections and collections manager.
Raquel gives many of the materials a second life, sourcing beads, charms and felt from thrift stores to continue a story in a new moment. The materials are accessible and encourage visitors to explore their own creativity.
“Fiber art is extremely democratic in that the materials are extremely accessible and do not have to be cost-prohibitive,” said Paris. “The works are a reminder that anyone can create. There is much more that connects us than separates us — the same mystic thread runs through all of us.”
The stories of the Cursed Spirit of Downtown Laredo, La Llorona, the Donkey Lady and other folktale figures from the region are presented in a new light alongside the artist’s own personal histories. “Estúpida’s Wisdom” (2025) draws from a formative teenage memory, using yarn, felt, ribbon, charms, thread and buttons to show a coiled serpent held before a chalkboard, subtly reversing authority. A central installation, “Howl Together” (2025), will grow through a community needle-felting workshop, inviting participants to add imagery and stories that expand the piece. “Tales From the Fireplace” (2023), an installation of reclaimed furniture, evokes the oral storytelling traditions central to Raquel’s practice and highlights narratives that anchor the artist’s fantastical imagery.
“This exhibition features stories rooted in South Texas, shaped by the culture of borderlands, oral tradition and lived experience. These are stories many visitors will recognize, even if they’ve never heard them told in quite the same way,” said Lauren Thompson, the McNay’s curator of exhibitions. “The knowledge, memories and stories passed from person to person are a vital part not only of our culture but of who we are.”
Visitors will find merchandise inspired by “Mystic Threads” at the McNay Store, including a print, magnets featuring works from the exhibition and a small collection of milagros made by the artist herself.
Born and raised in Laredo, Texas, Raquel draws her inspiration from the border city’s folklore and storytelling tradition. She earned her Master of Fine Arts from The University of Texas at San Antonio and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Texas State University. In 2019, she taught herself needle felting and rug hooking to fully realize a singular artistic vision, techniques that have since become central to her practice.
“Angelica Raquel: Mystic Threads” is organized by the McNay Art Museum and curated by Liz Paris, curator of collections and collections manager, and Lauren Thompson, curator of exhibitions. Support is provided by The King Ranch Visiting Artists Fund.
