Temporal/Boats for Puerto Rico

In September 2017, the island of Puerto Rico suffered a category five storm, Hurricane Maria. Because of this devastating event, Puerto Rico will never be the same. Natural catastrophes are often have this effect. They create ripples in time that change the way we see the past and future. After six months, thousands of people remain on the island without water or power. Despite this, media coverage continues to decrease.

With this in mind, I felt it was my responsibility as a Puerto Rican and artist to do something to help the island. My work currently focuses on the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, retelling this event through painting and installation. The project consists of two parts: the personal and the community. 

Not only is this about my experience as a Puerto Rican, but also about the effect this event had on the people. Raw materials such as mud, sand, debris, and repurposed wood panels allow me to bring the destroyed landscape of Puerto Rico to the gallery space. Furthermore, I am including in the installation, thousands of little origami boats which were developed by a community outreach effort. Not only does this provide an opportunity for the voices of the families directly affected to be heard, but also an opportunity for anybody that has been wanting to help with the cause. The origami boats are a metaphor of the overall feeling of a Puerto Rican on the island: a raft floating in the ocean with no sense of direction. When the viewer encounters the installation they will be confronted by the land and the people. Consequently, I am able to engage the viewer’s conscience by the expressive manner the paintings are developed and by reactivating the space. This installation is an expression of the despair Puerto Ricans, like me, experience every day after Hurricane Maria.

The origami boats are a metaphor of the overall feeling of a Puerto Rican on the island: a raft floating in the ocean with no sense of direction. When the viewer encounters the installation they will be confronted by the land and the people. Consequently, I am able to engage the viewer’s conscience by the expressive manner the paintings are developed and by reactivating the space. This installation is an expression of the despair Puerto Ricans, like me, experience every day after Hurricane Maria.