Ysabel Flores Art

Born and raised in the US as a Filipino American, I examine what physical environments and landscapes shape, inform, and mediate my attention for my own hybrid culture and identity. Reflecting on diaspora, I borrow nostalgic memories of immigrant family members, channeling their experiences and oral histories into my practice to instill a deeper, more intimate sense of cultural heritage beyond textbook knowledge. My research highlights local trails– sometimes painting en plein air and other times painting from photo-reference. Navigating the legacy of the American landscape, I reflect on what heritage means to me through my drawings, paintings, sculptures, and prints. The foods I grew up with are recreated in clay, giving form to memory. My recent paintings exhibit acrylic illustrations on raw canvas where I decidedly cut, burn, or weave the fabric to interrogate traditional painting practices and to emphasize the excitement and anticipation that comes with uncertainty.