As an immigrant woman born and raised in the Dominican Republic, my art is an investigation of my lived experiences. I explore the gender roles of Latin American women under systems of oppression, Dominican folklore and visual identity, and the effects of gentrification and tourism on local life. My practice is informed by research on the gentrification of tourism-reliant countries like my own, and the limiting gendered expectations for women in past and present generations. My works become a visual synthesis of the ideas learned through research, and quoting historical artworks allows me to connect generational struggles for power and dignity into my modern context. Interactions with friends, family, and the media raise questions about my identity and my standing in the world. Meditating on these questions and finding ways to communicate my feelings about my perspective drives my pieces from idea to completion.
In my work, I use acrylics, oils, or color pencils to create a base layer. I create images in which women and Latinx people react to foreign elements that occupy their environment. I start by creating an underdrawing or underpainting to define the values of the image and to impact the color of the layers above. After the initial image is finished, I use collage elements like paper, bags, cardboard, and packaging from imported products to disturb the scene. While it starts with a plan, the layering and collaging usually become a back-and-forth process driven by intuition. I decide the role of the collaged elements and how they will help me communicate my viewpoint. The act of layering, in which I simultaneously construct and tear away, mirrors the refinement of my ideas. Likewise, the different materials and their transparencies allow me to choose what to reveal and conceal from an image, to expose how the media manipulates certain truths.
I create works that dialogue with historical and contemporary struggles for gender equality and displacement. By creating images where dignified portrayals of women and immigrants are distorted and invaded, I question and challenge the impact of the media in concealing the truth and crafting harmful narratives about these marginalized communities. My goal is to dismantle the conformity and sense of normality with which these issues are treated and highlight how pervasive colonial power structures continue to affect our realities in negative ways.