Desgarrada del Encanto (Fall 2023)

4 feet by 5 feet

In Desgarrada del Encanto, I face my cultural dissonance by visiting familiarities and memories of the island as well as the realities that I am surround by in the continental U.S. 

The piece consists of over 80 graphite illustrations, each serving a specific purpose in placement and relationship to each other.  The amalgamation of objects, bodies and faces make for a chaotically loud display; the drawings feature a variety of symbols ranging from classic Puerto Rican dishes to visualizations of colonialism in association with the United States.  The contorted, nude model drawings displayed sporadically across the piece serve as embodiments of my struggles with identity, the detailed muscle contractions perfectly reflect the underlying tension within myself.  Posing as a black and white flag, the piece serves not to represent the island, but to represent my personal resistance with identity.