Rebirth: Beyond the Sea

Rebirth: Beyond the Sea, combines personal memories of significant events in Cuba, the artist´s native land, with experiences in the Netherlands to explore how these very different realities shape her perception of the sea and the diaspora.

Using pigments, space, and light, the project creates an immersive sensory experience that addresses history, memory, diaspora, the body, and freedom. The artwork draws inspiration from the experience of wading through the mudflats of the Wadden Sea, evoking vibrations and ripples characteristic of the seabed and its tidal flats in seascapes at low tide. This is juxtaposed with Cuba’s history of exodus and isolation as a metaphor for hardship and the desire to escape by sea, while also highlighting the positive aspects of migration, such as hope and renewal. 

The exhibition includes medium and large format paintings made with pigmented sands and superheavy gel medium and installations on the floors of the exhibition space that mimic the movement of water, evoking the Dutch marshes, also made of pigmented sand and real marine debris such as various shells and marine elements such as: turban shells, cowries, snails, starfish, sea glass, driftwood and various sea creatures, fauna inspired by and found in the Wadden Sea of the Netherlands, contrasting with my Cuban heritage, where escaping by sea is a matter of survival.