DONDE COMEN DOS, COMEN TRES

Donde comen dos, comen tres / Where two can eat, three can eat is an artist calendar that portrays the oppressive scarcity of the rationed food distributed over the course of a year at a bodega (grocery store) in Cuba. Rationing is controlled by the Cuban government through the implementation of a Libreta de Abastecimiento ("Supplies Booklet"), which is assigned to every household. In this way, the system establishes the amounts of subsidized rations that each household is allowed to receive according to its number of members, along with the frequency at which supplies can be obtained. Voicing these daily struggles of Cuban families, the calendar is composed of six individual wooden cutting boards customized by the artist whose shapes recall the silhouette of a house. On each cutting board, an image transfer of a graphic chart is displayed showing the number of supplies given to a family of three over a two month period. These charts are extracted from an original Supplies Booklet (2021) belonging to one of the artist's friends who currently lives in Cuba.

Creating wooden boards meant for cutting food adds an element of irony that is revealed after reading the chart information while not having any food to cut. This effect purposely mirrors the shortage of quantity and variety in food supplies available on the island. Although the prices of rationed items are low, often costing only a few cents, most Cubans have to supplement their supplies at higher-priced stores where only a few people can afford. Through the application of the photo transfer technique, each board becomes a unique piece embracing the physical imperfections of the Supplies Booklet that are created by production, use, and time. As the title suggests, Donde comen dos, comen tres / Where two can eat, three can eat not only contemplates the struggles of living under an oppressive system but also the humility and hospitality of its people who with little can always make room for one more.

2022

Homes are architectural vessels containing dreams, sadness, desires, happiness, and fears. They are like books giving us shelter from society and providing room for the individual to exist. Intentionally exploring these ideas, Pause, Black Hole, and Erosion are bodies of work that portray conversations about the psychological effects that domestic spaces have on us; the interpersonal relationships, and fictitious narratives that we create of them. The alienation of ourselves into a private structure in which ordinary tasks can become either rituals or martyrdoms. The voyeuristic rawness imbues itself into everyone passing through that space. 

Pause, as the title indicates, is a piece for reflection that recreates the mixed emotions experienced during the first weeks of quarantine. As the world entered a new decade we were forced to slow down our pace and become observers. Isolation not only brought us fear and anxiety but also awareness; consciousness about how to reconnect with ourselves and find new readings of our living spaces. On the other hand, Black Hole is a piece that focuses on the dark and hollow sentiment of anxiety. Extracting references from the intimate landscape of my bedroom in an abstracted manner, the piece’s intention is to depict sentiments of contemplative emptiness. Last but not least, Erosion, unfolds the complex and delicate topic of human relationships by depicting two opposed chairs that represent a couple. In between, a rock like meat formation images on paper visually “connect” the chairs insinuating the decay and struggle of these individuals as time weakens their love bond.

PAUSE

2020

BLACK HOLE

2020

EROSION

2020

A BLUE BIRD’S TUNE

A Blue Bird’s Tune is a series inspired by Emily Dickinson's envelope poems. This series focuses on three main subjects that have a strong relationship with her work and life: danger, death, and madness. Contained in shadow boxes, the text is displayed in a personal dialogue with a collection of found objects. Each used object stained with life recreates a materialized idea, a psychological moment, or an intimate portrait generating new content.

2019