February 15 - March 5, 2021
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Virtual Reception: March 3, 2021 05:00 PM EST
Meeting ID: 774 9037 3604
Passcode: MUZ3is
This work explores the concept of the connection and attachment that we have with our mothers. There is an invisible tie that binds, enduring all the ups and downs of complex familial relationships.
When my mother passed away in June of 2020, a deep feeling of helplessness invaded me. Something was disconnected in that moment, a thread was severed that I could not repair.
I wanted desperately to retain all that I could of my mother and the bond that we shared. Contemplating and seeking to capture memories of her, I realized that the mark that I carry on my belly from my umbilical cord is a sign that she will never leave me. I carry this imprint with me always, a constant reminder of how my mother gave me life.
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Artist Statement
We have all experienced physical, spiritual, or psychic pain at some point in our lives. Through textiles and handmade felt, I create pieces and installations that reflect these experiences of suffering and the resulting fragility. Regardless of language, race, or culture, I intend to show the viewer how we are connected and how we can relate to each other through our individual and collective pain. Art becomes the dimension in which I can transform grief into hope, fear into opportunity, and ugliness into beauty.
About Paulina Fuenzalida-Guzmán
Paulina Fuenzalida-Guzmán was born in Santiago, Chile. Her background is in interior design and journalism. In 2018, Paulina decided to move with her family to New Bedford, Massachusetts, to pursue an MFA in Fibers at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.
Earlier work addressed human rights violations during the collapse of democracy in Chile; her current body of work reflects the concept of identity as the result of oneself plus one’s circumstances.
In 2019, Paulina received the Outstanding Student Award from the Surface Design Association, which recognizes excellence in Fiber graduate and undergraduate students. Currently, she is part of The Creative Process Exhibition, a project that is traveling to leading universities around the world.
paulifuenza@gmail.com
@paulina_arte
@FieltrosPaulinarte
paulinarte.blogspot.com