Artist Statement

My hope is to combine anthropological practices and showcase my fieldwork through video. My strengths were always in academia, I never saw myself as a creative. Even throughout high school studying visual merchandising, my identity was always strongly rooted in being an honor student. Towards the end of my high school career however, visual merchandising became less and less fulfilling. I felt like I had a different purpose in life that went beyond window displays and the fashion industry. At the same time, my love for social sciences became apparent as I searched for something to fill the void of what I had thought would be my life path. 

I have always been an active observer, interested in social interactions and cultural norms. This was  innate to me, maybe because I'm naturally introverted, a NYC native, and a first generation American. I've been lucky enough to travel to my parents' home countries and other countries within Latin America and throughout these experiences, questions of community, belonging, family, and history arose. I want to express as best as I can, the feeling I got when I first landed in Cuba, as if a part of me was finally returning home. Drawing inspiration from artists and activists alike, Ana Mendieta, Tania Bruguera, Victoria Santa Cruz, Bruce Nauman to be able to convey my worldview pertaining to gender, race, kinship, and migration. 

The further I delved into what I feel like could be my life's work, I became haunted with the realization that whatever I do in the world of anthropology would result in writing a book very few would read, or teaching, neither of which appealed to me. This realization came at a time in which I began to miss the feeling of creating something. As much as I resented visual arts for the years of harsh critiquing and endless hours of studio work, the end result provides a feeling that cannot be replicated. Thus began my interest in film that had been lingering the background for some years, thanks to influential friends. The possibility of being able to do work I find meaningful, while showcasing it in a way that allows me to express my creativity is excited to say the least. In combining these two fields, I hope to continue asking questions and maybe even answer a few through a visual representation of my future ethnography.