Twins depicts a pair of figures originally rendered in gouache, ink and silver leaf on paper. In the work, Zelaya celebrates femininity through the use of repetitive floral patterns and explores racial and cultural identity by using layers of washes to create rich brown and olive skin tones. Twins reflects Zelaya’s interest in fashion and music of the ’60s and ’70s, her fascination with religious iconography and her preoccupation with concerns of modern society.

Zelaya received her BFA in painting from the Kansas City Art Institute in 2006. She was awarded a residency through the Charlotte Street Foundation’s Urban Culture Project in Kansas City, Missouri, in 2008. Based in Houston, her work has been exhibited throughout the United States, including in association with the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts and Deitch Projects. Her work was recently featured on the cover of New American Paintings.