Advanced Fiber Studio (Highlights)
I make work that does not explicitly comment on Catholicism, but allows the viewer to project their own beliefs onto the work. These beliefs are informed by the viewers own customs, practices and intergenerational differences. I am navigating a space between explicit commentary and neutral position. This is a conceptual device that came as a result of me not wanting to offend my family and religious community while still being able to express my feelings that are critical of Catholicism.
My work operates through the use of declarative text, word play, subversive humor and domestic representation. The materials I use in my practice reference my home and its role as an intermediary vessel between me, my family, and the church. The home that I was born and raised in serves as a place for discourse that manifests itself through discussion, ritual and coexistence. The wooden chairs I grew up sitting on at the dinner table represent my deceased Mexican grandmother, my living mother, and my own body. The brightly colored felt used in my “Jesus Christ!” banners reference the banners I made as I prepared to make my First Holy communion. I make art as a way to better understand my relationship with Catholicism and its deeply rooted history within my family and community.