Mariposa: The Art of Healing
Sometimes healing can be painful - almost violent. It’s easier to push it down and stop thoughts from unraveling. It is easier to wear a clean matching yoga set and drink a green smoothie every morning to trick everyone into thinking I have my life together. But, that’s boring and not helpful. In Dance of The Butterfly: The Art of Healing I look to confront the uncomfortable. To feel the pain, the cringe, and let it keep me up at night. I don’t pretend it’s easy and won’t try to convince you I’m healed.
give your daughters
difficult names
give your daughters
names that command
the full use of the tongue
my name makes you want to tell me the truth
my name
doesn’t allow me to trust anyone
that cannot pronounce it right
-Warsan Shire
I bury seeds and heal old wounds 2023 | 22' X 5' | Interactive installationAs part of Paola De La Cruz's solo exhibition, Mariposa: The Art of Healing; I bury seeds and heal old wounds is an interactive installation guided by self reflective prompts. The prompts read "When I close my I eye I think off .... Even in my dreams you tell me that .... I forgive myself and see a future where .... I stretch my arms towards the sky and envision ...." Visitors of the gallery are prompted to choose the prompts that best resonate and finish the sentence on the provided hang tag. The visitor then attaches the tag anywhere on the chicken wire. Overtime, the chicken wire accumulates more and more of the visitors thoughts and expressions. Though the hang tag is an individual experience, the installation overall is a collaborative effort. This i mirrors healing as a communal experience. The installation would not fortify the same feeling and energy if visitors contributions where not added. The installation needs the stories and reflections of the community to exist as it was constructed to.
