I come to work with clay through my proximity with Sculpture. When someone identifies me as a ceramist it feels forceful. Painters are given a name defined by a substance. Maybe I am Mud. What is it that defines the essence of something? What would remain if the wind, sun, water, fire, and dust would take over a given place? The idea of impermanence is constant in Puerto Rico. Everything that is preserved is in defiance of the elements. Rusted consumed by salt, eaten by termites, or cracked into a seeping wall. Working with clay helps me create the conditions to better understand my surroundings in tune with this certain sensibilities.
In my recent practice, I become aware of the potential phenomena of renewal of my surroundings. Focused on creating art that express this towards life. Expanding on a personal identity within the poetics of craft and its effective relationships by working with textiles, ceramics and other materials. For me the process of craft is in meditation from within an emotional ecology.
CV
EDUCATION
MFA in Sculpture at Penn State University SOVA School of Visual arts PA, USA.
PG La Practica, Beta-local San Juan, Puerto Rico.
BFA in The School of Visual Arts and Design of Puerto Rico San Juan, PR.
RESIDENCIES
2021-2022 Las Casitas
Bayamón, Puerto Rico.
2020 Summer//"La esquina"
San Juan PR.
2019 Winter// Gasworks.
Londres, United Kingdom.
2019 Fall// "La Esquina" San Juan, PR.
2015 Spring// Matadero Madrid, Madrid, Spain,
2011 Summer// Capacete, Rio Janeiro, Brazil.
GRANTS AND PRICES
2017-2019 Buton-Waller Graduate Teaching Assistantship Award at Penn State. Pennsylvania, USA.
2017 Emerging Artist Grant at the Cisneros Fontanals Art Foundation. Miami, Florida.
2011 The golden Pineapple Award at The Tropical Biennial with “La loseta” curated by Pablo León de la Barra. San Juan, Puerto Rico.
TALKS
2021 MAB Museo de Arte de Bayamon, PR.
2020 Centro Leon. Dominican Republic. DR.
2019 Gasworks, London, United Kingdom.
2019 Penn State School of Visual Arts. Pennsylvania, USA.
2014 Beta-Local. San Juan, Puerto Rico.
2011 Capacete. Rio Janeiro, Brazil
INDIVIDUAL EXHIBITIONS
2023 November Never Eat Sour Wheat solo show at Souvenirs 154 San Juan, Puerto Rico.)
2022 An unannounced performance. Bayamon, Puerto Rico
2022 In search of pleasures. Embajada. San Juan Puerto Rico.
2019 Rest my head on a wall of water. Thesis show in Zoller Gallery at Penn State. Pennsylvania, USA.
GROUP SHOWS
2023
“Tintorias y Estratos” with Souvenir 154 curated by Raquel Perez Puig San Juan, Puerto Rico.
2022
We didn’t ask permission, we just did it… with Embajada for CAM Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, USA.
2022
5 annual artist show room at Emerging Room. Bayamón, Puerto Rico.
2021
“Salón de Estilo” curated by Alana Iturraldes at Iturralde’s Studio. Bayamón, Puerto Rico.
2021
“Para que haya fiesta tiene que danzar el bosque” at TEA Tenerife Space for the Arts Curated by Michy Marxuach, España.
2019
Documento at Embajada Gallery. San Juan, Puerto Rico
2019
Ana Mas Projects at Arcos. Madrid, Spain.
2018
A fact of difference at Barcelona Gallery Weekend with Ana Más Projects curated by Carla Acevedo Yates. Barcelona, Spain.
2017
Emerging Artist Award at Cisnero Fontanals Art Foundation. Miami, Florida.
Stitch at Beeler Gallery con Columbus College of Art & Design curado por Ian Ruffino. Ohio, USA.
Point of Departure a por Ana Más Projects curado por Direlia Lazo. San Juan, PR.
2015
Fragility Manifesto in “Detener Continuar” at Matadero Madrid, Spain.
2012
Always at home LP Collection at “el Arsenal de la Marina” curated by Beta-Local. San Juan, PR.
Cuts at “Playa la 8” with UVUVUV curated by Stephan Benchoam. San Juan, PR.
2011
Escultura Utópica en La Gran Bienal Tropical curada por Pablo León de la Barra. San Juan, PR.
Retratos Toxicos en 40 years of abstraction in Puerto Rican photography curated by Melisa Ramos Borges. San Juan, PR.
2020 Covid-Relief Grants
Emergency Artist Grant, United Artist. Chicago, Il.
Emergency Artist Grant. CERF+ Montpelier, VT.