PROJECTS
At Rest: A recollection of disposition
15 min. 2017-18
At Rest: a recollection of disposition digests the struggles and revelations of being a woman from Mexican and European descent in this country today. This piece has served as a process for healing, coming to terms with my truth, and taking ownership of my identity. Defining the contents of my identity led me to invaluable ancestral channeling, work, and research. In the piece, a pelvis replica is my grounded companion on this journey of self-realization. The pelvis symbolizes womanhood, vulnerability, re-birth, and ancestral weight. The movement is energized with the pain and pleasure of unpacking myself in front of an audience. At Rest has bridged the gap between me and my brownness, and has restored my understanding of my power and the power of my people.
Funded in part by the BAX Alumni Space Grant, awarded spring of 2017.
Photograph by Anastasiia Shama
Pain or Pleasure or Worship
2018-19
This project embodies the fullness of three distinct stages I have experienced in healing processes. The three elements being pain, pleasure, and worship. These elements have made a clear connection to thinking, believing, and knowing. Research led me to Orion’s belt as a symbol of ethereal history reflecting the significance of three. I found that these three stars, that had whispered to me throughout my life with their bright symmetry, had been worshiped and respected long before my current incarnation. Robert Bauvel, the first exhibitionist to theorize the Orion and Giza correlation explains, “When you enter a Pyramid it’s like entering the belly of a star.” As women of color we are celestial bodies. We have inherited the knowledge of the stars from our ancestors, and yet, our skin reflects the color of the Earth. By harnessing the vast mystery of the constellations into three very human states of being, I feel I am channeling the power of Orion’s belt and pinning it down with the palpable human body.
As an exploration of pain, pleasure, and worship, I have improvised and documented two out of three of the elements as a solo project. I wish to expand these ideas through other BIPOC bodies. You can find my performance of pleasure at the link below!
Man/nerisms
In collaboration with Justine Farhi
2019
Man/nerisms is a dissection of binary gender and an exploration of the homogeneous expression of masculine and feminine energies. Two femme-identifying performers portray the tribulations of heterosexual, middle-aged men in corporate America on their journey to gender fluidity.
Although we identify as femme, we have accommodated masculine energy as a source of power throughout our lives. As we grew into our bodies and witnessed the men in our lives coil at the brush of vulnerability, we found there is deep wisdom and power to cultivate in our feminine energies. With the gift of grounding femininity, toxic and stagnant masculine fragility became undeniable.
As we reflect on identity, we find that humans are far from binary and the energies that live within us are complex and transient. Recognizing the full spectrum of gender expression within all of us allows us to accept ourselves and lead more authentic lives. When we accept ourselves we hold less judgment and have an easier process accepting others for who they are.