Fruit of My Labor, 2021
clay, 5" x 5" x 14"
Influenced by artisanal clay souvenirs of Latin America, Fruits of My Labor aims to honor the legacy of transnational fruits and the effect of its trade on the representation of women of color. I merged old, terracotta clay, and a new generation of popular clay, polymer—both out of necessity and curiosity. Where arts and crafts and traditional portraiture merge, they mutually benefit from their formal and material differences--brilliant versus muted, natural versus man-made, air-dry versus baked. These relationships also embody identity crisis, celebration, and recognition of a wretched history. The use of terracotta clay pays homage to Latin American artisans’ work in our American homes. What happens to cultural nuance when homogeneity is more immediately accessible?
Stutter I, 2021
Portrait of Self
A series of portrait drawings of a child who stutters. This series examines memory from the perspective of an adult child from two photographs taken at ages five and seven. The drawing process is influenced by remembering the moment each photograph was taken while redrawing each photograph with different media. The stutter plays an impactful role in remembering and retelling the stories behind each photograph further shifting the elements of the story itself. Mere players of the story may likely enter the scene differently than last time the story was told. Throughout the process, I ask questions about which visual elements should stay or leave; change or remain as is. Do these decisions ultimately apply to memory? Which memories should stay or leave; change or remain as is?
Imaginary Homefronts: Diaspora Series, 2020
polymer clay, 3" x 3"
El Negocio, 2020
Sculpture replica of a typical Chilean business center in Santiago, Chile. This one houses my uncle's family business in the 1980's. Attached to this photo are stories about local gossip, traffic accidents, and military raids during Pinochet's regime.
Conditions of Queer Diaspora: Pigeon & Woman Series, 2014
Conditions of Queer Diaspora: Pigeon and Woman is a collective series that fosters intersections of identity– a meeting of queer identity and a diaspora experience.
It is important to note that the term “person of color” serves as an inclusive reference to a shared experience of racism that is often a part of the diasporic condition. A diasporic community is made up of individuals who are displaced or exiled from their homeland for political and/or economic reasons. Often, members of diasporic communities are alienated in their new residence. The term “queer” represents a spectrum of diverse sexual and gender identities shared by individuals that often face displacement from the home and discrimination from society. Given these concepts, a queer diasporic experience is an intersection of combined, multifaceted experiences of homelessness where the sense of exile and alienation is amplified.
The pigeon that reappears in these paintings is used as a symbol of the queer diasporic condition. In the city, the pigeon lives within an artificial environment, one that is out of context and separated from its natural habitat. Furthermore, it is often either disregarded or viewed with contempt by humans. Both the pigeon and the queer woman of color coexist in a space of homelessness.
Within the intersections of queer diaspora, this series of paintings focuses on a glimpse of the struggles of a queer woman of color within the United States. Seldom are the issues and experiences of queer diasporic women of color heard or shared in public discourse. This invisibility of queer diasporic identities worsens feelings of isolation. This is my attempt to bring visibility into spaces where my identities have felt invisible.
It is important to note that the term “person of color” serves as an inclusive reference to a shared experience of racism that is often a part of the diasporic condition. A diasporic community is made up of individuals who are displaced or exiled from their homeland for political and/or economic reasons. Often, members of diasporic communities are alienated in their new residence. The term “queer” represents a spectrum of diverse sexual and gender identities shared by individuals that often face displacement from the home and discrimination from society. Given these concepts, a queer diasporic experience is an intersection of combined, multifaceted experiences of homelessness where the sense of exile and alienation is amplified.
The pigeon that reappears in these paintings is used as a symbol of the queer diasporic condition. In the city, the pigeon lives within an artificial environment, one that is out of context and separated from its natural habitat. Furthermore, it is often either disregarded or viewed with contempt by humans. Both the pigeon and the queer woman of color coexist in a space of homelessness.
Within the intersections of queer diaspora, this series of paintings focuses on a glimpse of the struggles of a queer woman of color within the United States. Seldom are the issues and experiences of queer diasporic women of color heard or shared in public discourse. This invisibility of queer diasporic identities worsens feelings of isolation. This is my attempt to bring visibility into spaces where my identities have felt invisible.
Separation from the Conditions of Queer Diaspora: Pigeon and Woman Series, 2014
watercolor, color pencil, acrylic on watercolor paper, 22" x 30"
watercolor, color pencil, acrylic on watercolor paper, 22" x 30"
Loss of Self from the Conditions of Queer Diaspora: Pigeon and Woman Series, 2014
watercolor, color pencil, acrylic on watercolor paper, 22" x 30"
watercolor, color pencil, acrylic on watercolor paper, 22" x 30"
Crumbs of Belonging from the Conditions of Queer Diaspora: Pigeon and Woman Series, 2014
watercolor, color pencil, acrylic on watercolor paper, 22" x 30"
watercolor, color pencil, acrylic on watercolor paper, 22" x 30"
Yearning from the Conditions of Queer Diaspora: Pigeon and Woman Series, 2014
watercolor, color pencil, acrylic on watercolor paper, 22" x 30"
watercolor, color pencil, acrylic on watercolor paper, 22" x 30"
Homebound from the Conditions of Queer Diaspora: Pigeon and Woman Series, 2014
watercolor, color pencil, acrylic on watercolor paper, 22" x 30" SOLD
watercolor, color pencil, acrylic on watercolor paper, 22" x 30" SOLD
Resonance, 2014
acrylic on canvas, 2' x 4' SOLD
acrylic on canvas, 2' x 4' SOLD
Moment in Thought from the While Making Love Series, 2013
willow charcoal, 24" x 32" SOLD
Original drawing of this image will be featured in film Bruising for Besos (posted soon)
willow charcoal, 24" x 32" SOLD
Original drawing of this image will be featured in film Bruising for Besos (posted soon)
© Cynthia Velásquez
