School: Von Steuben Metro Science Ctr
Grade: 12
Description: The flowers are made of paper mache, they are 3D and were handmade. Certain areas were made to look like shading. I prioritized using the size and shape of the material to pack them in as closely as I could.
Artist statement: This 3D piece relates to my religion and identity. Christianity and Catholicism play a big part in the lives of most citizens in Mexico including those that immigrate from Mexico to the United States. My parents wanted their daughters to continue learning about religious traditions so they would teach us the bible and take us to church. My inspiration for this piece came from memories of my first communion when I first learned what the small cookie and wine giving meant in a religious context. The bread represented the body of Christ and the wine was a representation of his blood. Despite these traditions being heavily followed by the Mexican community, bread and wine don’t originate from Mexico and come from areas in Europe and the Middle East. I wanted to create a piece that used beans and corn native to Mexico to illustrate a portrait of a huge female symbol in my religion, La Virgin Guadalupe. I started with a sketch on a posterboard of La Virgin and used materials such as kidney beans, pinto beans, corn kernels, paper mache, and hot glue to piece together her portrait. The piece took a week and a half to complete. I have a strong interest in using material that directly relates to my culture in order to express topics in the Latinx community. I like using material that represents what I grew up with
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