Blending  humor, critical insight and personal narratives, these supersized anatomical heart assemblages explore the intersection of socially charged issues and the poetics of the body’s inner landscape, specifically the heart, where emotions are believed to reside. Each heart is overloaded and bursting with representations of intimate and political experiences—becoming vessels for reflecting on all the big emotions tethered to inhabiting a female body in today's regressive societal structures. 

Inspired by political theorist Hannah Arendt, A Place of Darkness probes the political relevance of emotions through material semiotics of a 1940s vintage mink stole paired with a second-hand police riot suit—questioning symbols of control, vulnerability, historical oppression and protection. Emotional Rescue examines the consumption of popular culture through my personal taste in music—the romantic songs of the patriarchy, aka Yacht Rock, where catchy melodies sugarcoat problematic lyrics. The work satirizes the enduring presence sexism in popular media through a parodic performance video nestled within the heart.

Each work invites viewers to consider their response to the injustices faced by women.

Scroll down to see ‘Emotional Rescue’ video.

image credit: Argenis Apolinario