Reflections (Self-Portrait)

Paper Weavings with Thread
8 in x 10 in (Each)
2018

Reflections (Self-Portrait) are intricate paper weavings formed by a combination of printed versions of: Frida Kahlo’s “The Two Fridas,” the poem “Ode to the Diasporican” and a self-portrait I created. The poem, written by Bronx, Puerto Rican poet Mariposa, discusses the longing that the Puerto Rican diaspora experience when born on the mainland. Through a manipulation and reorganizing of her lines, these weavings are meant to be a reflection of my feelings of my shifting identities and heritages. In an attempt to unite them into one, I interlaced each of the words and images with my own portrait and wrapped these weavings with red and white thread - the only colors shared between the Mexican, American and Puerto Rican flags. The irony of this piece is that each source is only a copy of the original. “The Two Fridas” and my drawn self-portrait are only scanned and printed copies. Even the poem is not the original as I rearranged its order to better suit my own personal reflections.