Song to life
The present series of prints on different supports could be titled “Song to life” since it represents my praise to the possibility of permanence in this world. In it the body, my body, symbolizes resilience and adaptability, survival and joy.
For the last six years self portrait has been one of my main themes. I have approached it in different ways: sometimes from a conceptual and abstract perspective, others, in a more representational way, but always in a very symbolic manner. The female body, specifically my body, interests me as a means of self-exploration and to construct a definition of identity. My body, with its imperfections, is unique: my scars, blemishes, wrinkles, etc. define me as an individual with particular life experiences in a specific and always changing space, time and circumstances.
Two years ago, after a long time, I started printmaking on linoleum again. The subjects come from ink drawings in which I portray myself with different objects or thoughts in my head or body. The body is naked and shows the scars that are part of who I am since I had breast cancer, a mastectomy and reconstruction 10 years ago.
Recently I started to experiment with handmade paper using home residues (washer and dryer lint, paper towels used to clean my brushes, rags from my husband’s shirts), which I paste onto industrial papers, on top of which I print and then embroider by hand or machine stitch with different kinds of threads. Sometimes I print directly on different kinds of fabrics using its qualities (transparency, texture, color, print, etc.) and embroider over them using beads or other materials. I learned sewing and embroidering from my mother’s mother, it was her heritage.