I’m interested in exploring what’s real and enduring, what happens when seemingly different cultures merge, and how the mundane becomes sacred through simple acts carried from generation to the next. Encaustic cement tiles - common in Cuban architecture - are made by hand and have a life span. The colors can withstand being walked on for around a century before the patterns become erased, just as Buddhist statues are worn down by being touched over the ages.
In some of the pieces, I combine the longevity of traditional Cuban cement tile patterns with the disposability of Chinese food carry-out containers. The rich, yellow acrylic ink is reminiscent of a shade of yellow only used by Chinese emperors. In others, tile patterns merge the the blue and white palette of Ming Dynasty export porcelains.
