Penland Gallery’s El Puente, which opened last month, continues through June 7. The exhibition presents the work of four Puerto Rican artists: mixed media sculptors Ada del Pilar Ortiz and Luis Gabriel Sanabria; ceramic sculptor Jaime Suárez; and ceramic sculptor and Mitchell County resident Cristina Córdova, who curated the show.
Madre. Cristina Córdova, artist
“El puente” means “the bridge,” referring to a metaphorical bridge between Puerto Rico and the US mainland and the idea that artists are part of that connection in what Córdova calls “a continuous loop of communal encounters and mutual influence, followed by a momentary respite in which the encounters are assimilated and transformed within the artistic community.”
Córdova’s large, low-relief wall sculptures depict human forms along with environmental elements. The pieces explore an area of human experience where, Córdova says, “mind seeks myth.” The artist considers Puerto Rico her home, but says that during her years in the US she has found the means of expressing her homeland through her art. “I exist between these places—rooted in one, shaped by the other—grateful for the creative communities that have carried me forward,” she says.
With sculptures cast using architectural elements from abandoned homes in Puerto Rico, Ortiz seeks to address issues in the territory today, including economic challenges, gentrification and the devastation of natural disasters. “Each sculpture serves as a vessel for fragmented stories,” she says, “representing both personal and cultural loss while honoring the spaces where life once unfolded.”
Sanabria calls the artwork/installation he contributed for this exhibition Los Guerreros. The costumes of the three sculptural figures are based on carnival characters reimagined as warriors and include elements found and created in Puerto Rico such as shells, handmade rope and traditional textiles. “We are re-created and reidentified here,” the artist says, “wearing our land and moving pieces of it into the ‘mainland.’”
For pieces in this exhibition, Suárez draws upon works from his series Lost Cities that use clay to explore some of the themes that have developed throughout his career: ritual objects, eroded landscapes, ruins and archaeology. “All come together with an interest in texture, which I have realized has become my medium of expression and what has taken me into material investigation beyond my starting point in ceramics,” he says.
Penland Gallery curator Kathryn Gremley notes that it’s worth reflecting on the generational connections among the four artists. “Jaime Suárez played a significant role in Cristina Cordóva’s early arts education in Puerto Rico, possibly influencing Cordóva’s ongoing dedication to creating study opportunities for Puerto Rican artists,” she says. “Ada del Pilar Ortiz was invited to participate in Penland School’s winter residency based on a recommendation from Cordóva. As emerging artists, Ortiz and Luis Gabriel Sanabria have each engaged in prestigious art residencies around the world and bring those experiences back to Puerto Rico, potentially inspiring others to pursue similar opportunities. As Puerto Rican artists, they are united through their culture and their ability to navigate the complexities of supporting their arts community.”
Learn more about the exhibition and its contributing artists at Penland.org. Penland Gallery is located at 2687 Conley Ridge Road, Bakersville.
