2024 MFA Thesis Exhibition

As an immigrant, home exists as a feeling of belonging. We move across continents, cities, boroughs chasing that feeling of belonging.  As of late, my work examines the ephemerality of home and belonging in the face of immigration within the larger socio-political landscape of the United States. Being an immigrant, my homes––which include Bogotá, Ecuador, Tampa, Washington D.C., and now Brooklyn––have all shaped my experiences and identity and how that informs my work. 

I exist in the liminal spaces, the in between, neither here nor there. 

As a multidisciplinary artist, I enjoy curating a collaboration between myself and my work as it decides how it wants to exist. Process is a large component of my studio practice. I find that through the process I let the piece speak to be and from there decide how it manifests. Mark-making and color theory are two of the things considered as I work, looking at how different marks, colors, hues impact the way a work is perceived and more importantly the emotional voice it conveys. Working with process-heavy mediums allows me to really get to know and understand the material I’m using, allowing me greater control over the final image. I’m particularly interested in making work that challenges the viewer to look closer and experience the piece differently each time. I weave my language through printmaking, painting, layering, and memory to create a body of work that exists as a journey of processing and accessing memory as we search for the ephemerality that is home. 

 Thank you for joining me on this journey.

Maria Clara (Mari) Rios Cacua is a visual artist and poet working at the intersection of immigration, borderlands, ancestry, and archiving. Born in Bogotá, Colombia, and currently based in New York City, their work has been shown at the 25East Gallery, New York City and The Corcoran Gallery at the Corcoran School of Art and Design, Washington D.C., among others. They received their BFA in Fine Arts from the George Washington University with a double minor in Art History and Sustainability. She will be graduating with an MFA in Fine Arts from Parsons School of Design in May 2024.