Casita Familiar
Location
FA-255
Start Date
1-5-2026 11:20 AM
Department
Art + Design
Abstract
My work reconstructs the interior of a Mexican-American household through large-scale drawings that invite viewers into intimate domestic spaces shaped by tradition, memory, and lived experience. Each piece is created with the intention of forming connections with others, inviting viewers to feel welcomed, empowered by affirming the value of Mexican-American family life and cultural traditions while honoring our domestic spaces that are often overlooked. Through personal experience, these drawings recreate warmth and comfort and are influenced by memory and lived experiences from myself and people around me. The exhibition is structured like a dollhouse, with each drawing representing a different room, living room, dining room, bedroom, kitchen, and backyard. In this format, I invite viewers to walk through a private space and connect themselves to the perspective of living in a Mexican-American household. The dollhouse structure evokes a memory, an intimate and nostalgic moment of daily-life. Each room has cultural objects like common Mexican folklore art, loteria cards, a traditional apron, pan dulce, Muñeca Lele dolls, a wooden front door, and a white patio chair. These cultural objects encourage viewers to reflect on their own identities and inherited traditions while celebrating the importance of preserving and honoring their roots through shared memories and practices, while building a community. Working on a large-scale allows viewers to be immersed in an intimate space, while touching on paper’s fragility of how memories can be marked over time. I use charcoal, soft pastel, and gouache on paper to balance softness with vibrancy. The smoothness of charcoal and soft pastels emphasizes warmth and softness of memory. Gouache introduces the vibrancy of saturation and intensity of memory through color. The use of mixed media allows me to integrate texture in my work and unify materials into one. I incorporate vibrant colors to capture the richness and vibrancy of Mexico’s heritage allowing to capture and guide viewers' eyes. Through this process, I transform personal experiences and memories into a shared space. My practice allows my work to help me grow, share my strengths, traditions, stories, and create a connection with viewers while forming a community.
Faculty Sponsor
Nate Mathews
Casita Familiar
FA-255
My work reconstructs the interior of a Mexican-American household through large-scale drawings that invite viewers into intimate domestic spaces shaped by tradition, memory, and lived experience. Each piece is created with the intention of forming connections with others, inviting viewers to feel welcomed, empowered by affirming the value of Mexican-American family life and cultural traditions while honoring our domestic spaces that are often overlooked. Through personal experience, these drawings recreate warmth and comfort and are influenced by memory and lived experiences from myself and people around me. The exhibition is structured like a dollhouse, with each drawing representing a different room, living room, dining room, bedroom, kitchen, and backyard. In this format, I invite viewers to walk through a private space and connect themselves to the perspective of living in a Mexican-American household. The dollhouse structure evokes a memory, an intimate and nostalgic moment of daily-life. Each room has cultural objects like common Mexican folklore art, loteria cards, a traditional apron, pan dulce, Muñeca Lele dolls, a wooden front door, and a white patio chair. These cultural objects encourage viewers to reflect on their own identities and inherited traditions while celebrating the importance of preserving and honoring their roots through shared memories and practices, while building a community. Working on a large-scale allows viewers to be immersed in an intimate space, while touching on paper’s fragility of how memories can be marked over time. I use charcoal, soft pastel, and gouache on paper to balance softness with vibrancy. The smoothness of charcoal and soft pastels emphasizes warmth and softness of memory. Gouache introduces the vibrancy of saturation and intensity of memory through color. The use of mixed media allows me to integrate texture in my work and unify materials into one. I incorporate vibrant colors to capture the richness and vibrancy of Mexico’s heritage allowing to capture and guide viewers' eyes. Through this process, I transform personal experiences and memories into a shared space. My practice allows my work to help me grow, share my strengths, traditions, stories, and create a connection with viewers while forming a community.