Memorias Construidas

memorias Construidas are a series of hand-sewn textile assemblages made by Vanessa Argueta. Concerning this project, the artist writes:

"My work explores translation, transformation, personal memories, and the creation of fragmentary states of being through the reverence for colors and shapes found in Mola textiles made by the Kuna women native to Guna Yala, Panama. The mola is a product of acculturation, the balancing of two cultures while assimilating to the prevailing culture of the society, and continues to exist because of tribal tradition. These textiles could have never developed without the cotton cloth, needles, thread, and scissors acquired by trade from ships that came to barter for coconuts during the 19th century.

"The coming together of many different materials is an integral part of my work. Not only because the materials I work with are in limited quantities but also because this process is reflective of my upbringing in Miami, where I was surrounded by a variety of cultures and people living together." — From the artist's statement, New River Journal