“CARA AZUL + ADONDE VIVE LA QUE SABE” (2018)
The portrait was taken by Crystal Simone.
Performance, Blue acrylic paint.
Image projection, Size varies
“ADONDE VIVE LA QUE SABE” (2018)
Altar Mural.
Acrylic on found Cardboard.
6FT X 5FT
“DIOSES/DIABLOS DEL HOGAR” (2018)
Performance.
1/15. Portrait Taken by Maria Fernanda Quevedo.
Image projection, Size varies
“PARA DIOSES” (2018)
Installation, Performance Collaboration.
Arepas for DIOSES made in a makeshift bowl from my “ORGULLO VUELTIAO” (2017), painted hat, Vegan Colombian Hot Chocolate, POC audience. Includes “ALTAR MURAL SERIES” (2018).
Installation sizes varies, documentation projection size varies
"MI M(I)AMI LOOKS LIKE ME” (2018)
Performance.
1/9. Portrait Taken by Daniela Maria Lopez-Saavedra.
Image projection, Size varies
“THEY/THEM/PRETTYBOI/PUTABOI” (2018)
1/6. Self Portrait.
Image projection, Size varies
“ALTAR MURAL SERIES” (2018)
Acrylic, Lipstick, found Cardboard.
Installation sizes varies, documentation projection size varies
Includes:
○ “WHITE SUPREMACY MADE US MORTAL” (2018) Altar Mural. Acrylic on found Cardboard
○ “AMOR IGUAL” (2018) Altar Mural. Acrylic on found Cardboard
○ “EDEN” (2018) Altar Mural. Acrylic on found Cardboard
○ “YOU ARE NOT SAFE” ( 2018) Altar Mural. Acrylic on found Cardboard
○ “PUTASBOI” (2018) Altar Mural. Acrylic on found Cardboard.
○ “LA MUERTE MANIFESTO” (2018) Altar Mural. Lipstick on found Cardboard.
“PORTAL A MI M(I)AMI” (2018)
Performance.
Installation sizes varies, documentation projection size varies
Includes:
○ “JUST CHILLEN/JC 305” (2018) Video Documentation.
○ “MI RUANA” (2018) Acrylic on Fabric.
○ “PALMIA/PALMERA” (2018) Hair, Water.
○ “PUTASBOI” (2018) Altar Mural. Acrylic on found Cardboard.
Artist Statement
Maria Del Pilar (PILI) Lopez-Saavedra is Brown, Gender Queer, Colombian born, Miami raised, New York-based immigrant artist co-struggling for a Black/BrownUtopia through a multidisciplinary performance-based practice. Their practice includes an ongoing exploration of self, specifically within the intersections of sexuality, gender, religion, race, culture. They seek to grasp the layers of their intersectional existence through the relationships they curate between themselves and other factors within their performances/installations such as objects, physical and/or conceptual spaces and other bodies such as an audience or collaborator. Prevalent themes within their body of work are AMOR IGUAL, their body as a material, Disidentification, the relationship between binaries and their outliers, the creation of new environments and therefore new identities, as well as a desire for the community through the public and private exploration of their experiences + theories of existence.
The previously mentioned concepts are implemented into Lopez-Saavedra’s work through forms such as conceptual or physical binaries through multidisciplinary material vessels, the creation of new identities and the visual semiotics representative of those identities through performance outfits or installation details, the contextualization of daily objects as both mundane and divine, genderqueer subversion of religious references, and the artist’s own coded language used to create levels of intimacy with which the audience can connect to the work.
(the previous sentence is a really long sentence. I would suggest breaking it up for clarity. I think you also use “the creation of new identities multiple times and I wonder if there is a way to say this differently while successfully communicating what you want to say) Through a spiritually-intensive artistic process, they create objects, environments, symbols, images, and processes that are reflective of their experiences and thoughts on existence within and outside of 2019 social political historical frameworks. Through this self-reflective, creative practice, they are cultivating a process of growth and self-determination in addition to creating representation and cultural production for the benefit of Queer/LGBTQ Latine/x people of color and/or anyone who identifies with their vision.
