Ellas Ya No Viven Aqui

They {feminine} don’t live here anymore

Combining the mediums of painting, drawing, sculpture, and poetry, my intention is for my work to exude the imitation of life through adaptations and evolutions of an allegorical species called the Vejiccubus. Within the human experience, trauma (both personal and inherited) causes transformation in order to assimilate better into our environments. Through these changes, many times, we leave behind a shell of someone who once was, similar to that of a reptile shedding its skin when it has outgrown it.

 The Vejiccubus who have inherited this shedding trait are hybrids inspired by the traditional vejigante masks of Puerto Rico, and the soul-eating succubus of Medieval lore. With bright, lively colors and patterns on their skin that represent the masks, as well as the indigenous Taino’s war paint, they are my testament to women who evolve from tragedy and trauma. Just like evolution recorded through Biology, each characteristic and behavioral trait has been cultivated for the sake of survival. They are the hunters who play the hunted, always staying one step ahead of their prey. 

It is the way women in particular evolve from these moments that brought about the species of the Vejiccubus in the first place. Magnificent but dangerous, these creatures have transformed, adapted, been endangered, and have risen, again and again. And what remains are shells of the past that continue to linger in the ruins of their memories.