Vejigante Series, 2025

This series explores themes of memory, childhood, lost traditions, generational connection, and lineage. Each soft sculpture in this series is a recreation of Puerto Rican carnival masks; the form follows a traditional Ponce Vejigante mask and the scale is slightly smaller than a normal one. I print familial archival imagery on satin to recreate the traditional polka dot patterns found on Vejigante masks from Ponce. This series investigates different avenues of research through my quest to learn more about my Puerto Rican culture and ancestry. Vejigantes have become a personal symbol that signifies the importance of my connection to my family, my ancestors, and my culture. Through the use of print and fiber, I am taking an iconic Puerto Rican symbol and framing it within the context of my identity and familial history. The soft sculptures I have created resemble stuffed animals or plushies which connect to the themes of memory and childhood. The sewing techniques and paper patternmaking connect back to the idea of generational connections and lineage because my grandmother taught me how to sew.