2020
Artist Statement: “Growing up in San Antonio, nopales had mostly existed in the periphery of my daily life. I had often overlooked them until I got near them and viewed them as a minor threat, something that could potentially bring harm. When I relocated to the Midwest, I found myself drawn to them whenever I encountered them in various miniature succulent forms, on display at a friends house, in the Southwest exhibition at a conservatory or sliced up and served on my dinner plate with other accompaniments to enchiladas or pollo en mole. The cactus (nopal) had now become a symbol of home. Upon my return to South Texas, the prickly plant began to command more attention with connotations as perimeters that helped define a space and barriers used to create a sense of confinement. They adapt to varying climate conditions and learn to love the soil they sit in. The cacti’s resilience is a true model of tenacity and survival along with their ability to thrive even in the harshest of environments.”
This piece was part of a city-wide celebration of 2020 Day of the Dead SA, presented by La Gloria. Click HERE for more details.
Photo Credit: Jonathan Alonzo
