Raised by a Cuban mother and an Australian father, much of my history is either lost, forgotten or hidden. The generational impact of being a child of a refugee has shaped my artistic practice, acting as a means to engage with and explore my dual cultural identity.

 

The challenging dichotomy of being both, but neither, is a main point of exploration in my practice.​This idea of otherness, or the “inbetween”, is a focus of the work. It is often alien but familiar, known yet foreign. The work evolves from reflection on this duality, paying homage to traditional Cuban instruments, jewellery and clothing.

 

The associations I make with my culture, of music, visual identity and tradition, predominantly inspire the motifs that I use in my work and inform the palette and surfaces. My identity, in all its varying forms, is a lens through which to see that which cannot be removed, or unlearned.

 

Clay is wheel thrown, altered and a range of slips, glazes and attachments are applied. Vessels are adorned with precious metals and strung with threads and beads. Unusual and voluminous forms are offset with asymmetrical graphic linework.

 

I think mainly on occupied space, and the explorations of mark making on surfaces. It is about the journey of the line, the surface, the form. Symbols, superstitions and messages are hidden, a personal language to be discovered.I hope this work inspires reflection on our origins, our histories and the influences of those who preceded us.

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