Nearly a year after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico in 2017, this community-based project was created in the town of Quebradillas. Alongside local children, family members, and neighbors. In a neighborhood still grappling with island-wide blackouts and water shortages, the concept of “light” had become a privilege. The children designed their own wing patterns and worked collaboratively to attach LED lights, transforming their drawings into illuminated forms. At night, the children used their glowing wings to invent games and create shifting shapes in the darkness. Together we created moments of joy, resilience, and imagination in the face of ongoing hardship. This project served as both a creative outlet and a quiet act of reclamation, with light becoming a medium for self-expression, play, and community healing.
PR LIGHTS
under pressure
This project features a series of full-body 3D scans of the artist, her daughter, grandmother, and female-identifying friends. The scans were transformed into miniature figurines and printed in solid red, white, or blue. Arranged on the table, the figures form an American flag when viewed from above. Each figure stands with arms raised, as if holding up a collapsing ceiling—symbolizing the emotional, physical, and societal weight placed on women in America. The work is both a personal and collective reflection on generational resilience, invisible labor, and the burden of structural pressure carried by female-identifying bodies.
4,645
This large-scale installation features a seven-foot funeral wreath constructed in the shape of the Puerto Rican flag, rendered in black and white, a powerful symbol of resistance. Created in collaboration with friends and family, the wreath is intentionally left unfinished, representing the unresolved grief and uncertainty surrounding the true death toll of Hurricane Maria. While official numbers initially reported fewer casualties, independent studies revealed significantly higher estimates: 2,975 deaths according to George Washington University and 4,645 according to a Harvard University study.
The flag is composed of 4,645 individual flowers—each one honoring a life lost. By using the highest estimate, the piece confronts the devastating impact of delayed aid and systemic neglect by the United States, which governs the island. The collaborative creation of the wreath adds a communal layer of remembrance and healing. Its unfinished edge serves as a powerful reminder that the full scope of loss may never be known. This work stands as both protest and memorial—an act of resistance, love, and collective mourning.
i see you <3
This series of large scale portraits, each measuring five feet tall, features children from the artist’s circle of friends, family, and neighbors. Inspired by the artist’s daughter, the work emerged from a desire to reflect the faces and stories of her community within the realm of fine art. Created to affirm the presence, beauty, and worth of underrepresented children, the paintings serve as a celebration of identity, spirit, and joy. Through vibrant scale and intimate portrayal, the series underscores the vital importance of representation in shaping how children see themselves and the world around them.
