Mundos de Papel
Opening Reception:
December 9th 5pm-9pm
Artist Talk @ 8:00pm
I first started working with dolls as part of my recovery from disordered eating which appeared shortly after migrating to the United States. The doll, particularly the articulated Mexican paper-mache doll, offered a medium to tell my story and understand the connection between my relationship with food and other parts of my life- namely the effects of migrating, the resulting susto and how the body process the experience of crossing and desraizamiento.
The traditional paper mache Mexican doll, unlike any other doll I had grown up with or owned, is not made with delicate materials nor does it have the qualities that other dolls, particularly Barbie or the European dolls have. She is robust, big chested with crude facial features that emphasize the imprecise brush strokes made by the hand of an artisan. This unsophisticated and flimsy quality seems to give it a homely feeling that speaks to me not only about home but the essence of who I felt I was during my recovery from disordered eating.
Inspired by my home community in Celaya Guanajuato, I seek to draw attention to traditional paper-mache work especially as it relates to doll making. The dolls and works in this exhibition, explore the possibilities that paper mache offer as a form of language and storytelling. Whether that is a personal anecdote or one drawn from popular media, I'm interested in the ways this art form can be used to tell stories and the intersections between narratives and objects in the context of diaspora and migration. How can dolls help us craft our stories? How do objects, bodies and stories travel and become points of “return”?
Opening Reception:
December 9th 5pm-9pm
Artist Talk @ 8:00pm
I first started working with dolls as part of my recovery from disordered eating which appeared shortly after migrating to the United States. The doll, particularly the articulated Mexican paper-mache doll, offered a medium to tell my story and understand the connection between my relationship with food and other parts of my life- namely the effects of migrating, the resulting susto and how the body process the experience of crossing and desraizamiento.
The traditional paper mache Mexican doll, unlike any other doll I had grown up with or owned, is not made with delicate materials nor does it have the qualities that other dolls, particularly Barbie or the European dolls have. She is robust, big chested with crude facial features that emphasize the imprecise brush strokes made by the hand of an artisan. This unsophisticated and flimsy quality seems to give it a homely feeling that speaks to me not only about home but the essence of who I felt I was during my recovery from disordered eating.
Inspired by my home community in Celaya Guanajuato, I seek to draw attention to traditional paper-mache work especially as it relates to doll making. The dolls and works in this exhibition, explore the possibilities that paper mache offer as a form of language and storytelling. Whether that is a personal anecdote or one drawn from popular media, I'm interested in the ways this art form can be used to tell stories and the intersections between narratives and objects in the context of diaspora and migration. How can dolls help us craft our stories? How do objects, bodies and stories travel and become points of “return”?
|
About the Artist, Ramona Garcia
Ramona Garcia is a paper mache and visual artist. Her current practice focuses on the use of therapy dolls and facilitating expressive arts workshops for women and youth. She received her B.A. in Art Practice from the University of California, Berkeley. Ramona’s work is inspired by Mexican Folk Art, particularly the traditional paper mache dolls from her home community in Guanajuato, Mexico where the art of the paper mache doll is said to be originally from. Her aim is to honor these traditions by raising awareness about artisan work and bridging together traditional art-making with practices of art therapy. |