Ysabel Flores Art

Artist Statement

Raised in FL as a Filipino American, I have maintained a long-distance relationship to the Philippines through familial memories, recipes, and verbal descriptions of it. In Looking In/Looking Out, experimental paintings and hand-built ceramics emerge from a simulated intimate space to initiate cultural dialogue. Cutting up, tearing, and burning the canvas challenge painting traditions and illustrate the fluidity and puzzle-like nature of shaping identity. Weaving together an image of entangled cultures and reflecting on my upbringing in Florida, the natural landscapes of home provide a colorful context in contrast to what an imagined Philippines could potentially look like. Considering the humid climate, the subtropical terrain, and the diverse plant life of Florida, I wonder how my present surroundings compare to the tropical islands that surrounded my ancestors. Taking clay and carving childhood foods from Pandesal to Pinaputok na Tilapia, my hands form connections to the sacred memories of eating at the table, holding space for messy meals and even messier conversations about life. Among my works, I explore how the gifts and the burdens of cultural heritage are demarcated to the ordinary moments in life. It is in the quiet daily rituals of cooking, eating, and walking that I find the echoes of the past the most comforting and the most haunting.