This series titled, Mi Abuelita Me Contesto (My Grandmother Answered Me), is an investigation and revelation of my family history with a special focus on my grandfather, Catarino, who I was named after. Passing before I was born, it is only in this shared naming that I have a connection him. My understanding of the life he lived, comes from the memories he left behind with my mother and my grandmother. This work is an unveiling and discovery of my grandfather’s life. Taking advantage of his ghostlike and glorified presence in my life, I use him as a physical and symbolic idol for my ancestral history. 

Inspired by artists like Belkis Ayón and Frida Kahlo, I created a mythical world in which my grandfather is a mysterious, iconic figure. Utilizing Café Bustelo coffee packaging, I create collages consisting of my grandfather’s image, food goods, personal letters I have written to him, and hand painted patterns found in my grandmother’s home. Combining his repetitive image with consumer goods and familial imagery allows me to relay my own experience to his life, and bring him to my present. 

This repetition of his image combined with its changing obscurity and aesthetics alludes to the ambiguous, fluctuating nature of memory and history as it passes down.​ Café Bustelo is a regularly consumed staple found in the homes of many Bronx residents. The brightly colored red, blue and yellow bricks were a common sight in my childhood home. Using the packaging as my base, allows me to convey a sense of both familial and cultural acceptance, but also brings into question the reality of coffee as a good and its history in many Latinx countries. 

Honoring the process of discovering my grandfather’s life, I also created an altar inspired by the form of my grandmother’s cabinet. Stained with coffee, the altar holds a combination of candy whose flavors allude to a variety of Latinx goods, and whose forms reference the candy found in many Bronx ​bodegas​. Taking inspiration from Felix Gonzalez-Torres, I invite viewers to grab and consume candy of their choice. Through this consumption, viewers are encouraged to take communion, and connect with their own ancestry. Space is also provided for individuals to feel free to give their own offerings. 

Due to the quarantine and pandemic, I was unable to fully complete my altar. However, I have created a computer model, using Fusion 360, to depict my vision of what the piece would be when completed. This rendering features the brands of candy that I am planning to use; as well as my other piece, I Asked (Memories), which is centered on top of the altar. Meant to be a space of reflection and community, I wished for viewers to feel free to interact with the piece and ‘pull out’ the candy or candies of their choice. An animation of the functionality of the candy boxes is shown in the video. Each candy flavor is meant to be a reflection of food items that have long, complicated histories in Latinx countries. Some of the candies shown are banana laffy taffies, pineapple big slice pops, lemon heads and charleston chews which are common sights in Bronx bodegas. Each of the candy’s wrappers are also reflective of the red, blue and yellow colors found on Café Bustelo packaging.

Recalling from food goods and forms from my childhood, I utilize the image of my grandfather in an attempt to connect with, investigate and exalt a past ancestor whose face and name I share. The title of this series comes from a lyric of Café (Coffee) by Eddie Palmieri, a song loved by my paternal grandfather.