Morelia Rosas-Martinez

Morelia Rosas-Martinez - Curatorial Rationale

Growing up in America, but having Mexican parents meant I got to be a part of two cultures. I got to experience two cultures and experiencing them has taught me a lot about the world and the varying cultures. I have taken pride in being a part of two cultures and have learned to embrace the duality. I might have felt like a part of one culture more than the other at times, but I have come to love that I am a part of both. I find it fascinating to explore people’s backgrounds and upbringings as it teaches me more about the world and how we unite. The pieces chosen for my exhibition were chosen to make an impact on the viewer and open their eyes to multiple perspectives and cultures. My intention is to express not only the beauty and joy that being a part of two cultures brings but what brings them together as one.

The pieces in my exhibition explore the idea of duality and unity. The American culture and the Mexican culture are expressed separately in my pieces while forming them into one piece. While all of my pieces explore culture, they each do it in a different way. This was done either through the use of varying symbols, expressing different emotions in each piece, or through the use of different media. I used acrylic paint, digital photography, and cardboard to name a few in order to create a more diverse exhibition. Within each piece, however, I used either the same media throughout, the same colors, or unifying symbolism. I wanted to express this diversity while also unifying it all with the recurring themes. In my piece “Connected in Our Layers”, the two cultures are each explored individually, however they are still one piece, unified by the use of the same media, cardboard, and unified by the repetition of elements such as the horizontal and vertical lines.

These were all inspired by the emotions I feel being a part of two cultures and the experiences I have had throughout my life that make up who I am. My memories of certain events growing up also inspired these pieces. The pieces explore the traditions of each culture and my feelings as a Mexican-American. Many of us often share these feelings and I wanted people to connect to them, too.

My artwork is exhibited in a way that starts with the cultures more separated and then more connected as the viewer moves to the next piece. The viewer first sees the piece “Cazuelitas” as this is a representation of my Mexican culture. After that piece, right below it is “Carry On” which shows a little more connection between the two cultures in the use of symbols in the second shoe. As the viewer moves from piece to piece, the cultures become more unified in the piece. This is meant to express how I have embraced my cultures throughout my life and how they intertwine in my life. It is meant to display how as I grow, my cultures become more blended. The last piece the viewer sees is “Mixed Experiences” as it better expresses my life as a whole and blends the two cultures together clearly. The idea of unity becomes a clearer idea by the time the viewer reaches the end of my exhibition. As the viewer moves ahead, I intend for the viewer to recognize that despite the differences in culture, they can be brought together and there are things that bring them together.

My vision for this exhibition is for the viewers to celebrate and understand duality in cultures. I want the differences between cultures to be celebrated while recognizing that they often unite. It is my hope that through the visual imagery the viewer is able to better understand the idea of duality and unity.