ArtCultured X G.R. Amaya-Baron
My work explores contemporary systems – global & local – and the connections we make to place, to past, and to people in ways that are often affected and informed by the process of globalisation that is occurring.
Today’s era of globalisation is characterised by the rise of electronic and digital tech. These technologies allow for a quicker and more fluid exchange between individuals, societies, and cultures. The scope of our knowledge, connections to our communities, and sense of place in the global system is affected by this process.
Perhaps by engaging with the many viewpoints that exist around the world, individuals and societies may contemplate how they know what they know of their own cultural identity and come to understand their own viewpoint better. Maybe they will even take on a new perspective.
In my work, I use different storytelling formats to reflect the building blocks of identity, history, and personal narrative. In fusing cross-cultural imagery, materials, and methods of display, I want to be an active participant in the globalisation process, both mediating and informing it. My subject matter may directly reference identity, or that may be the lens through which to interpret the range of topics I present, such as global foodways; migration; navigation; communication; medicine and health; textile and apparel manufacturing; ritual traditions; or the environment, to name a few.
By using techniques to create contrasts and analogies among the elements of my works, I highlight cultural differences and similarities in a way that is intended to provoke questioning and inspire new connections.
What is cultural identity? How is it affected by technologies and traditions from the past, present, and into the future? Do you create your own identity and place? Can you record your own story and control your own narrative? Or are you part of a greater system that decides for you?