My most recent body of work reflects my experience as an immigrant. The work is not meant to be a political commentary, but rather a visual representation of transplantation using organic forms and natural motifs: pods, seeds, grass, mushrooms, roots, etc.
Working with this metaphorical relationship, forms and materials are selected with the intention of creating both harmony and discord. Moving to a new country, learning a new language, giving up what is familiar elicits both optimism and fear. The spreading of seeds, roots, pollen, etc. are the basic inspiration for the sculptural form, disparate materials are then selected to create the sense of tension and forced metamorphosis.
While for me the work is about moving to this country from Chile when I was fourteen, ideas of growth, challenge, pain, and building a future are universal, not only for humans, but for all of the natural world. Through this examination of displacement and adaptation the viewer is encouraged to create a variety of visual and conceptual associations. |
