Jewels

The artist started using gold leaf in her work around 2014. The gold leaf became a symbol of the precious indigenous metals taken from her birthplace, the Dominican Republic, by European Conquerers. As she worked, she discovered that in applying gold leaf to images that resembled the island, she was in fact re-appropriating the gold to the Caribbean Islands.

This work signifies a shift from displacement (experienced by immigration and struggle) to ascension (expressed by the divine and a sense of having been elevated to new ground) to a place of glory. Everything is seen anew as the island's landscape seamlessly shifts from a traditional view to an aerial view.

On gallery-wrapped canvas.