Borders | Fronteras
Gallery hours are by appointment only: info@rilatinoarts.org.
OPENING RECEPTION
Thur. September 26, 2024 | 5:30-7pm
La Galería del Pueblo
209 Central St. | Central Falls, RI 02863
Invited Artists | Borders | Fronteras • September- November 2024
Looking Forward (2024)
Acrylic on canvas
When thinking about Fronteras, I think about the vision I have for my art career and the journeys I take to get to where I want to be.
Abuela Mía
16" x 20", Photograph
The images I am presenting are of my 96-year-old grandmother. I wanted to capture her still being herself in her own home while also highlighting how relatable this stage of life is.
Fragmentos Culturaltes
Acrylic on canvas
Representando en armonía y varios colores, las diferencias socioculturales de latinoamericana en estados unidos fuera de las "fronteras" que nos separan.
Porque sin importar las diferentes barreras: territoriales, culturales y religiosas, somos todos iguales cuando compartimos un mismo sueño.
………………..
In this work of art, I used acrylic paint to bring my vision to life.
Through harmony and various colors, it represents the sociocultural differences of Latin Americans in the United States beyond the "borders" that separate us.
Because, regardless of the different barriers—territorial, cultural, and religious—we are all the same when we share the same dream.
Yuk! (2024)
24x30, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Yuck! represents my young self and my teenage years. Smile (Autodesprecio) deals with the older me and how I'm always being told to smile, especially when posing for a picture. They represent the insecurities and dislike/discomfort I have for myself.
La Equis C/S (2024)
16 x 20, Photograph
I took this photo while standing in a quiet neighborhood near the border highway in El Paso. The large red "X" you see across the border is in Ciudad Juárez, México. To me, this view symbolizes the story of two cities and two countries, but not necessarily two different ways of life.
La Equis represents the convergence of these cultures. It reminds me that in border cities like El Paso and Juárez, people's lives intersect daily, erasing any sense of division. While the Wall physically separates the two countries, it cannot undo the unity symbolized by La Equis.
NOTE: This photograph has an accompanying video that can be viewed on location, at La Galería del Pueblo.
Dientes de oro AmoPVD/ Gold Teeth LovePVD (2024)
30x24, Acrylic on canvas
As an artist whose parents are both immigrants I could not resist but to apply for this call, and the ability to represent my family and ancestors. It also represents my friends and loved ones who have also experienced crossing borders with
their family.
La Virgen de Guadalupe 2013
116.5 x 26, Pen on paper
Naturally, it is hard for them to see any value in the art they may
unknowingly create. In 2013, my Tio Shadow dedicated two pieces to Chuko, my father. 11 years unnoticed - I wanted to show people his talent at the Border|Frontera exhibition.
Fronteras separate land, people, and families and break our histories. To me, Shadow's art is an example of resistance. As you can see, his art takes inspiration from the cultural aspects of Mexicans and Chicanos.
Orquídea de Metal (2024)
Metalwork
The theme of Borders and Fronteras inspired me to create and submit this piece—a metal orchid made from scrap metal. The orchid holds deep significance for both my family and Colombian culture.
The way the sculpture reflects light reminds me of the importance of holding onto core values. It reflects the resilience of metal while also symbolizing the delicate nature of an orchid, which requires care to thrive. Yet, when in its natural habitat, it can flourish beautifully.
Hermandad de Vecinos (20214)
11.8 x 11.8, Watercolor and Mixed Media on wood
The ascending Dove with a bright sun rise represents a new day, filled with hope, light and goodness. The hands are symbol of two diverse countries coming together, and putting differences aside. The flowers and greenery present growth, celebration of life, despite all the dark history. At the bottom are barbwires, blood drops, tangled by past roots.
Growing up in the D.R I always heard the only thing that divides both countries, is barbwires. I hope someday to visit our Neighbor country, Haiti.
I created this to represent a dream I’ve always had, for both countries to live in peace and be an example to other countries.
Churrasquin na Calçada, 2024
22 x 28, Acrylic on canvas
Anytime I go into a project, I look for the challenge. A never-ending phase of experimentation for a subsequent project where I will ultimately do the same. I reach for another planet so I may land on stars (poetic).
With so, when producing art, I solely disturb. It is a matter of comforting the disturbance. Regaining control of it so it becomes presentable. At the end, the disturbance of each piece will live with me, and I find comfort at the slight chance the next process will be clean and direct to the point – I hope it doesn’t.
In this piece, I aimed at comforting the disturbance of missing home by capturing it in abstraction. You now fulfill it with your own homesickness. Let me keep some of mine.
East / West, 2024
16 x 20, Spray paint & stencil on canvas
Whenever I thought about the idea of “borders,” I kept thinking about birds. Birds have no sense of borders or separation amongst towns, states, countries, or even continents. Birds travel all over the place at will, experiencing the world as one large expansive destination. Birds don’t have any sense of borders, they simply just accept Earth as their home.
You will Grow to be King (2023)
15 x 18, Acrylic paint on paper board framed
Meanwhile, my canvas paintings give me the opportunity to be more painterly with brushy line quality and more abstract.
When I contemplate the theme “Fronteras”, I think of the borders crossed by millions in search of a better life. Both my parents were originally from the Dominican Republic and had their fair share of borders.
209 Central St. | Central Falls, RI 02863
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