Date of Award

5-2026

Degree Name

Master of Fine Arts

Department

Art

First Advisor

Kyle Triplett, M.F.A.

Second Advisor

Jessica Brandl, M.F.A.

Third Advisor

Cat Crotchett, M.F.A.

Fourth Advisor

Patrick Wilson, M.F.A.

Keywords

Ceramics, craft, figure, fine art, sculpture

Access Setting

Masters Thesis-Open Access

Abstract

This research explores Puerto Rican identity through a diasporic lens. I investigate thematic underpinnings of colonialism and sovereignty in Puerto Rico, focusing on the intersectionality of colonial history, gender, memory, objectification, identity fragmentation, cultural resilience, narrative reclamation, and the color blue through autobiographical anecdotes. The recounting of these stories is interpreted through a variety of materials linked to my relationship with their colonial histories.

Through these relationships, I have created sculptures that reflect the materials to which these bonds are linked. Through the reflection of 451 years of colonial rule, my goal is to interweave the symbology of these materials to express time, decay, and resilience. The indigenous people of Puerto Rico were the Taino. My sculptures explore the traditional Taino ritual object known as the zemi: depictions of one's relationship with the spiritual, cosmic, supernatural, or ancestral relations. A Zemi can be created from various materials to represent a relationship to anything. Each person's zemi, and the relationship it embodies, can be depicted differently, as each person's perspective is unique.

The figurative sculptures I create are emblematic of my relationship with these histories. They are a protest to colonial powers and a symbol of Puerto Rican resilience, both in the diaspora and on the island.

Viva Puerto Rico Libre, Long Live Puerto Rico.

Comments

Fifth Advisor: Andrew Hennlich, Ph.D.

Download

Share

COinS