Giovanna “Gigi” Zepeda was born and raised in Hawthorne, California in Los Angeles County. She currently resides at Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla, CA. She comes from a Panamanian mother and a Mexican father. At a young age, she grew to love music, dance, and art. Giovanna was the 2009 class valedictorian at her highschool, Academy for Recording Arts. She graduated in 2010 as a CMA. She has been recognized in newspapers such as the Los Angeles Times and the Daily Breeze. As a single mother incarcerated, Giovanna has found drawing and painting to be an effective way to strengthen the relationship with her daughter, Janice.

While at CRDF, a women’s county jail in Lynwood, CA, Giovanna received recognition for her artistry and was deemed “head of the art committee”. She was assigned to create posters, holiday decorations, and other art works for programs and special events held at the facility. She also created art works for the F.I.P. Stepdown Program—a program that originated in a men’s facility, created to assist incarcerated people who struggle with mental health.

Since her stay at CCWF, Giovanna has published her art alongside newspaper articles by accomplished journalist, Tomiekia Johnson, who writes for the prison’s newspaper “Paper Trail”. In 2024, she participated in the exhibition, Finding Freedom from the Inside: Stories Shaped In and Out Incarceration at La Peña Cultural Center ​​(Berkeley). Giovanna is currently working on special projects for the facility, as well as projects requested by other incarcerated women who wish to send artworks to their families. Giovanna strives to spread positivity with her art and leave her mark in prison history.
Artist Statement

I am a visual artist who uses drawing and painting to depict struggles, successes, and personal experiences—including my own. I was in middle school when I first began drawing. I was looking for ways to share my story without actually “telling” anyone, and I was able to accomplish that with a pencil and paintbrush. My recent artworks are on paint and canvas.

I’ve had many inspirations over the years—mainly family and friends. But my most recent artworks were influenced by the people around me in prison. There are many untold stories in prison, and I’ve been working on sharing these stories through art. My painting in this exhibition, “Holding On To My Humanity” is a primary example of who I am as an artist.

Contact Information:

Giovanna Zepeda (#WH2794)
CCWF 511-12-2L
P.O. Box 1508,
Chowchilla CA 93610
Email via GettingOut: Giovanna Zepeda #WH2794/CDCR Central California Women’s Facility CCWF