Frances Dávila (they/them)

Arrived K-ee’ Tz’ikin (October 2026)

Where do you call home and where do you live?

I live in Oakland, CA. I call Los Angeles, CA home.

Tell us about yourself.

I am a queer Guatemalan, born to Guatemalan refugees who came to Los Angeles in the 1980s. After two decades of advocating for immigrants and confronting the realities of displacement and injustice, I found healing through clay. My work is rooted in nature, parts work, and a desire to reconnect with the Indigenous wisdom of my ancestors.

What are you bringing into your residency?

I am bringing a deep commitment to healing, curiosity, and transformation. I am arriving at Casa Ceiba at a pivotal moment as I transition from a life centered on legal and political work toward a more creative and spiritual path. I bring my lived experience as a queer Guatemalan, my ceramics practice, and an openness to learning from Maya Tz’utujil knowledge keepers with humility and respect. Through clay, I am exploring themes of trauma, resilience, parts work, and self-compassion, and I hope to contribute to the residency community through honest reflection, collective care, and a willingness to both teach and learn. I will carry the wisdom, practices, and relationships cultivated during the residency back to my own community in service of healing, creativity, and deeper connection to ancestral wisdom to guide us through turbulent times.

What drew you to Casa Ceiba?

What drew me to Casa Ceiba was its invitation to connect creativity, healing, and Indigenous wisdom in community. I was in search of a space where I could slow down, listen, and reconnect with the Indigenous roots that my family, like many others, distanced themselves from through generations of displacement and colonization. Santiago Atitlán also holds personal significance for me. Having visited with my family throughout my childhood, I carry memories of experiencing the beauty and sacredness of Lake Atitlán, which has long represented healing, connection, and renewal. Returning now feels less like visiting a new place and more like answering a call to come closer to a part of myself that has been waiting to be remembered.

Where can we follow your work?

Instagram @fra_en_says