Not One of Us

The ongoing violation of indigenous rights, coupled with the exploitation of their land by colonial and capitalist practices, has resulted in the devastation of the natural environment. Throughout history, animals and plants have been invaluable assets, contributing to the exoticization of various regions. Indigenous communities worldwide serve as guardians of natural resources, and their displacement from their ancestral lands inevitably leads to the suffering of animals and vegetation.

“Not One of Us” intends to confront the complex relationship between colonialism and migration. The series “Runners” depicts refugees from diverse origins and their journeys, honoring those who seek refuge in a better future. The term “runner” refers both to individuals who flee and long narrow rugs used to connect hallways, symbolizing the role of refugees as connectors of cultures and places from around the globe.

In contrast to the fiber art pieces, the project includes a series of paintings titled “Forasteros,” the Spanish term for foreigners. These works explore historical and contemporary manifestations of colonialism, prompting viewers to contemplate the dynamics between first-world visitors to third or newly established countries and the influx of immigrants to the first world.

Beyond these works, the project also includes two welcome rugs, representing my home city and country (Bogotá, Colombia) and additionally, several small latch-hooked rugs depicting endemic and endangered species from various countries, primarily from regions with significant emigration patterns. 

Pathway to Rafah Crossing

Portrays two Palestinian women on their way to Rafah Crossing which is the only crossing point to

Egypt from Gaza. It also shows an ancient olive tree being destroyed by bombing as it symbolizes their

deep connection to their land and their heritage.

Rio Grande

Portrays a Guatemalan woman and her family crossing the Rio Grande.

Pathway to Poland

Portrays an Ukrainian woman trying to flee from Russia, represented by the bear. The nightingale, one of

Ukraine’s national birds represents her culture and heritage which she is trying to hold on to.

Deadly Trails

An homage to those who have died on their journeys in search of a better home, this tapestry portrays

people from different origins depicted as Chancay dolls, which are funerary figures made by the

Chancay people, a culture from Peru that disappeared centuries ago.

Camino del Orinoco

Portrays a Warao girl from Venezuela. The Warao people live along the delta of the Orinoco river.

Central Mediterranean Route

Portrays a boy coming from the northern part of Africa most likely Libya to Italy.

Eastern Mediterranean Route

Portrays an Assyrian father with his child. Assyrian people are found in Syria and Iraq.

Golden Crescent

Portrays an Afghan woman at a refugee camp. Golden Crescent is the name of the moon shaped peripheral mountain area between several countries, in which opium production and trafficking is taken place. It is also one of the common routes that migrants from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran usually have to take to flee their countries. 

Silk Road

Portrays two Kazakh teens fleeing from Xinjiang, China through the tundra.

Pathway to Kangaten

Portrays three women from South Sudan on their way to Kangaten, Ethiopia, one of the places where Toposa tribe people flee to.

Diaspora

Image inspired by the Syrian migration.

Mzungu

Mzungu is used to refer to white people in Swahili speaking countries an it means wanderer in Bantu.

Shetani Mwepe

Shetani Mwepe means “White Devil” in Swahili.

Wasichu

Wasichu means “The taker of the fat or greedy one” in Lakota.

Gringo

Gringo is used to refer to white foreigner in Latin America.

Welcome to Bogotá

Welcome to Colombia

Our Land
(In order from left to right) Boto, Peacock Spider, Mountain Tapir, Flyer Catcher, Greater Lophorina,
Mandrill, Saiga Antilope, Axolotl, Ili Pika, Northern White Rhinoceros, Pangolin, Venezuelan Turpial.

Made in China

Made in China questions the mercantile and disposable paradigm of objects in conflict with cultural identities. The body of work produced for this project inquires about the wide effects of consumerism and mass production and comments on the loss of cultural identity of indigenous communities from different parts of the world in the hands of ethnocentrism, globalization and industrialization. 

This global problem supported by us (consumers), besides devastating the environment, affects everyone but mostly minorities who have been maintaining the cultural heritage and diversity of the world alive.

屁 is for دۇئا but also for ئولجى / P is for Duya but also for Yolji

“P is for Pray but also for Prey”

西 is for كېۋەز / C is for Kéwez

“C is for Cotton”

艾娜 is for جامان تۉش  / N is for Jaman tüş 

“N is for Nightmare”

Made in China started as an ongoing project of handmade Molas, which are unique hand sewn illustrated fiber art pieces made by the Guna women from Colombia and Panamá, their Molas show images of their cosmogony and are used as essential parts of the women's attire. My appropriation of Molas depict common consumer goods usually mass produced in China. This project intends to give awareness about mass production vs hand-made traditional crafts done by indigenous people from around the globe and the value given to fast-making and fast consuming goods vs the devaluation of tradition and environment caused by capitalism and consumerism. 

“Thirst” is the first of my appropriations of a Mola, and it tells a story about the indigenous communities suffering because of lack of water  and medical care among other basic needs. In Colombian Guajira, Wayuu children die every day of thirst and malnourishment, while civilized people focus on attaining stuff. Big companies arrive to Colombia offering money to  white collars in order to obtain permits to drill ancestral lands that have been cared for by indigenous communities for centuries  bringing drought to rivers, imbalance to full ecosystems and even killings to indigenous leaders and activists. All for  money that will never replace the environmental nor cultural loss. Indigenous communities from around the globe take care of the planet better than modern individuals, but their human rights are violated too frequently. 

"口渴  Kǒu kě / Thirst"

"球鞋  Qiúxié / Sneakers"

"球鞋  Qiúxié / Sneakers"

"缝纫机  Féngrènjī / Sewing Machine"

“无人驾驶飞机 Wú rén jiàshǐ fēijī / Drone”

"服饰  Fúshì / Apparel”

"美发产品  Měifǎ chǎnpǐn / Hair Products"

"手机  Shǒujī / Smartphone"

"哆啦A梦新番 Duō lā A mèng xīn iifān /Doraemon"

“ 迷宫 Mígōng / Mazej”

The series Idols was inspired by Pre-hispanic cultures aesthetics and each of the pieces was done with mixed media over repurposed "made in China" toys and appliances that had been disposed by their owners. The finished figures are meant to appear as if they were done in rock which is an everlasting natural material but, the reality is that these idols are fragile and would be very easy to break, revealing the man-made items bellow. Each idol is named in Runasimi, also known as Quechua language which is one of the remaining indigenous languages still spoken in the Andes Mountains since pre colonial times. This series questions the idolatry for consuming and buying things that give us a momentary sense of support as well as bringing awareness of how culture and traditions are being replaced by ephemeral stuff.

"Álli wíyaqoq"

(Repurposed toy speaker).
"Álli wíyaqoq" refers to a person that listens and obeys in Quechua.

"Kawsaqi"

In Quechua: Coworker.

Mixed media on repurposed toy laptop.

"Uturunku"

In Quechua: Jaguar.

Mixed media on repurposed manual chopper.

"Chíchu wármim tékan"

In Quechua: A pregnant woman is sitting.

Mixed media on repurposed teapot.

"Chariy"

In Quechua: To trap, to capture to hold.

Mixed media on repurposed doughnut maker.

"Astah"

In Quechua: Transporter.

Mixed media on repurposed toy gum ball machine. 

Hamburger World

Employee of the Month is a series portraying photos of employees of a fictional diner called "Hamburger World". The employees I chose are immigrants from different origins, and I painted them using traditional headdresses from the cultures they belong to, as well as wearing the diner's uniforms. They are also wearing a name tag with an Americanized version of their birth name. The aim of this series is to question the viewer about the cultural diversity of the working class in the U.S. and how their cultural identities are often vanished by forced assimilation of a new culture.

In the other paintings I use the burger as a symbol of imperialism, I depict hamburgers in different places of the world, the American food can be found anywhere and this is at the expense of locals losing their own culture and risking their own businesses and economy.

Employee of the Month

ハンバーガー

Hanbāgā

Hamburguesa Criolla

امبورجر

Hamburjr

"Itchy Ring"
In Cockney means Burger King

Nni Adinma
In Igbo it means "Unhappy Meal"

American Dream Catchers

American Dream Catcher VI

American Dream Catcher V

American Dream Catcher IV

The U.S. culture for objective outsiders is basically major advertisement, media and warfare. We know the United States because it has been and it is the American Dream to lots of people around the world, but once you are here you realize that "The American Dream" is gone long ago, and what remains is just the echo of media that never stops promoting how great Americans are. These series called "American Dream Catchers" talks about the failure of the american dream and how the original culture of this country, the Native American Culture was ruined and abolished by those that are recognize from abroad as Americans.

American Dream Catcher III

American Dream Catcher I

American Dream Catcher II

The following pieces were done before starting with this series, but the concept I worked there is related to consumerism and industrialization in the U.S, which is very pertinent to what I am trying to talk about in the "American Dream Catchers" pieces.

These are Our Planes

U.S Totem Pole