Public Artwork

El Retorno

Details:

Mural for: Humboldt Park Hospital
Dimensions: 40 x 12 feet.
Year: 2025

Execution Time: 01/16/2025 to 01/31/2025

Description:

El Retorno is an evocative artwork that transcends the mere representation of the Puerto Rican diaspora, instead exploring the profound nostalgia of life abroad. Using symbols like butterflies, it traces the legacy of five centuries of colonization and the resulting cycles of migration. Just as a mother longs for the return of her children, the butterflies, caught in the wind, symbolize the search for homecoming. The piece not only transforms space visually but also conveys the complex reality of colonized peoples, reflecting the emotional dislocation and yearning felt by those who are far from their homeland.

Taíno Staircase

Client: National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture
Dimensions: N & S walls - 8 x 24 each - ,
and E & W walls - 20 x 24 - each.
Execution Time:
12/15/2023 - 01/08/2024

Description:

"Taíno Staircase" is an immersive art experience that features petroglyphs and symbols from the indigenous peoples of the Antilles. The artist utilizes these ancient symbols to create a composition that conveys meanings tied to his culture—such as origin, motherland, migration, and the disruption caused by colonialism. The mural unfolds in a flowing movement, with the symbols gradually saturating the composition until the image is abruptly interrupted by the numbers "1492." These fading into white senses a moment of mystery, as a result the erasure of the historical accounts of the natives, by the ‘destruction of the indies’ accounted by Bartolomé de las Casas on 1542. Beyond its immersive nature, the artwork culminates framing a fine artwork on a canvas that depicts three Taíno figures in an abstract-figurative style.

Pedro Albizu Campos

Client: Pedro Albizu Campos Highschool
Dimensions: 60 x 12 ft.
Execution Time:
7/25/2023 - 8/08/2023

This mural honors the legacy of Pedro Albizu Campos, known as "El Maestro." He was the most influential Puerto Rican political figure of the 20th century and a National Hero who dedicated his life to Puerto Rico's independence. As leader of the Nationalist Party, he inspired thousands with passionate speeches urging Puerto Ricans to reclaim their cultural symbols, including the flag and national anthem. He led a successful island-wide sugar cane strike and exposed secret medical experiments funded by the Rockefeller Institute.

Boricua en la Luna

Client: Casa Museo Juan A. Corretjer
Dimensions: 60 x 30 ft
Execution Time: 3 weeks

Located in Ciales, Puerto Rico, this public artwork pays tribute to the literary legacy of Juan A. Corretjer. The image reflects the migration waves described in his poem “Boricua en la Luna.” The artist uses the composition of a bird to symbolize the movement from the rural landscapes of Puerto Rico to the diaspora in the United States.

Al Fresco- Chicago

Client: Chicago Department of Transportation

Dimensions: 18 x 24 ft
Execution Time: 3 weeks

Al Fresco is a dynamic art project in Chicago designed to transform public spaces into vibrant community hubs that center on outdoor dining experiences. By integrating art with everyday urban infrastructure, Al Fresco seeks to create spaces that are not only visually engaging but also functionally active, offering a welcoming environment for local residents and visitors alike. The project focuses on placemaking, which involves shaping public spaces in ways that foster community identity and engagement.

Through Al Fresco, outdoor dining areas become more than just places to eat; they serve as interactive spaces where people can come together, share experiences, and celebrate their shared cultural heritage. These spaces are designed to reflect the diverse identity of the surrounding neighborhoods, making them an extension of the local community’s history, values, and traditions.