I am a Mexican American multimedia artist that produces sculpture and works on paper to connect old narratives and make new aesthetic assessments. While studying at RISD in the northeastern United States, I unexpectedly missed family and the southwest and began to mine Meso-American mythology as a means of soothing my longing for home. What started out as a consolatory process, evolved into a reflexive exploration that compelled me to re-identify with my cultural heritage. I use materials and studio processes that relate to the concepts within the myths that I explore. Like the shapeshifting Nahual, in my Nahual Series, I use clay to create transitory objects that depict abstract figures fluidly morphing into other forms. I use Grolleg porcelain, a clay body that has enough water and elasticity to withstand the trauma of being bent, stretched, and contorted in order to take on its form. Bits of bone, fur, and fabric from my own and my family members’ clothing emerge from the folds, offering a glimpse of its future and former self. These concepts are in constant states of negotiation, navigating the common threads between current existence and ancestral tradition. The stories encased within my work bring origin and self recognition into question, inviting viewers to blur the lines between the inside and outside, the public and private , reflecting our individual need for cultural sustenance in our splintered American landscape.