Artist statement
Since the beginning of the 20th century migration of Puerto Rican needleworkers had been appealing for women in Puerto Rico. Operation Bootstrap in the mid-1940s was program intended to contour the related non-sequential flows by further encouraging manufacturing facilities on the island and cheap labor migration to the mainland.
Hurricane Marias’ devastation in 2017 made PR visible to the rest of the mainland. A Washington Post article from March 2018 states, “Nearly 500,000 people left Puerto Rico for the mainland during the past decade according to Pew Research center…”
This Textile installation, Al Otro Lado del Charco/On the other side of the puddle, explores the everlasting historical significance and cultural tradition of the needle work “Mundillo of Puerto Rico.” As a means to encourage and uplift mundillo artisans, I closely worked and support needleworkers/artisans living in PR and the Disapora. I am interested in connecting with the generation of needleworkers in the mainland, whom continue to celebrate their culture and heritage by teaching, producing mundillo in and outside of PR.
Below are my collaborators:
