STUDIO
Somos: Home, 2022-present
BIPOC Futures, 2023
Lazos de Sangre Continua, 2023
On My Mind, 2023
Masks for the Third Generation, 2019
Playing House, 2019
Forced Migration, 2019
Meditations on Aurea, 2019
Diosas, 2019
Lazos de Sangre 2, 2019
Lazos De Sangre (2014-2017)
This series reflects aspects of my Latina identity and self perception. I use embroidery, screen printing, original photography, painting, transfers and many other media to create these pieces. The lace patterns, maps, and other recurring symbols are borrowed from both Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Carrying both backgrounds in my blood and being the second generation in my family to have been raised in the United States, I feel there is a tenuous relationship between my American identity and my Latino upbringing. Some of the symbols I use reference the complicated relationship both islands have with the States and how this might be parallel, however loosely, to my personal feelings of confusion, loss, and estrangement from my heritage. Due to the nature of this project, I will be continuously updating and adding text to completed pieces.
Mi Familia: An art book meditating on my family 2015
This is a book version of the Lazos de Sangre Series that is viewed within Ofrenda Rosada.
Bomba Como 2016
This series reflects aspects of my Latina identity similar in tone to the Lazos de Sangre series. These are photographs printed on canvas paper and embroidered/embellished with thread and beads. The costuming reflects references to Bomba and Plena music and dance. Elements like the plastic used to create the Bomba dress draw on various aspects of my latinx background-they come from memories, imagery I feel drawn to that I believe is distinctly latinx etc.
Sterilization/Esterilización 2015
Esterilización is a reflection on the forced sterlization of women in Puerto Rico. The trend to sterilize women of color was exposed in the mid to late 70's and has since been the subject of a compelling documentary "No Mas Bebes" featrued on PBS in 2015. This piece displays 100 wax and mixed media uteri with 30 mangled and variagated uteri. The number is significant becaust 30% of women of child rearing age in the mid to late 70's was forcefully sterilized. The practice was popularized as a form of birth control however, misinformation, language barriers, and manipulation forced many women to believe that this was their only option. The article depicted in the background is from a bilingual college newsletter that reported the breaking news as it happened in 1977. Much of what we know regarding malpractice and political injustice in Puerto Rico is due to academia and people of color who broke their silence. The problem is still very real and many of these women live with the trauma of their experiences every day. The uteri are gilt to show that while they might not "function" they're still elements of beauty within their bravery, courage, and willingness to speak out. The uteri are overlayed on text in mostly spanish to reflect the tension many women experience in trying to protect their bodies without having all the information or not being able to understand the information they're given due to poor language accomodations in most American health care systems.
Image provided by Descerning Eye Center for the Arts where the piece was displayed for the 2015 exhibition GRLS,GRLS,GRLS