My art is based on my personal identity, which was formed both by watching my parents support the family through labor jobs as well as by my mother, who emigrated from Panama. My artwork narrates enduring questions of identity through the use of the human figure, labor politics, and mixed-media sculpture. My narrative sculpture reinterprets the visual iconography throughout north and central America with the materials available to working class immigrants today.
The cost of participation in our society can then lead to questions of inclusion versus exclusion. Who benefits from the American dream? Who is allowed representation, visibility and to feel a sense of belonging? The figures reveal people who contribute to society by enduring labors which often sacrifice their health and safety. Through my art, I hope to be part of the change I want to see in the world. It is a moral imperative for Latin Americans to be celebrated as part of the fabric of US society. Our bodies aren’t solely destined for labor, but also love, joy, and acceptance.
