Artist Statement.

My art represents cultural values that my community believes are important. My art shows how globalization is transmuting, alienating, and overtaking the culture of my country. My work is the result of witnessing a culture in danger where globalization transforms and displaces a local culture into an empty shell of mass consumption. Nicaragua has a vibrant and lively culture deeply rooted in folklore, traditions, and community. My art is informed by an indigenous heritage expressed in folk arts, religion, family, and a deep connection with the land. I am a Nicaraguan artist studying in the US where my perspective has changed drastically because I can see the roots of American corporations that now are permeating Nicaragua with their products. When I go back to my hometown of Leon, Nicaragua, I can see how local sellers, farmers, and artisans are going bankrupt because of unequal trades between locals and transnationals. Exploitation and displacement of workers is growing, creating poverty. Mass produced products are taking over markets and people forget the importance of supporting products produced locally. Pollution is becoming a problem for lack of regulations. I feel empowered to communicate my concerns over the changes taking place in Nicaragua through my artwork. My art uses traditional objects and cultural activities combined with and in contrast to mass produced products, pollution, and poverty creating uncomfortable compositions and tensions. Vibrant colors, traditions, architectural spaces, rhythms and sounds that represent my own identity are predominant in my work. Through installations, sculptures, and films, I engage viewers with the complex issues globalization has brought to Nicaragua.