Sangre Mia

In art, blood becomes more than a biological fluid. It is a living symbol, a thick liquid that binds the past, present and future. Heritage courses through the bodies of artists Kelly Tapìa-Chuning and Bianca Velasquez. Sangre Mia (my blood) emerges as an expedition of reclamation, an unraveling of assimilation and a corporeal manifestation of embodied connection. This exhibition invites you to embark on a tactile journey that delves into the veins of heritage, wrestles with the complexities of erasure and navigates the winding paths of identity.

Sangre Mia is a declaration of the artists’ pursuit to reclaim a more direct and authentic relationship with their heritage. Through Tapìa-Chuning’s textile work and Velasquez’s beadwork the artists seek to make sense of the past by working with their hands, crafting tangible pieces that physically reconnect them to the intangible threads of their lineage.

In this exhibition, you will witness the meticulous deconstruction of history, as Tapìa-Chuning takes apart the layers of assimilation that have obscured the roots of her ancestry. You will also find the art of reconstruction, as Velasquez painstakingly pieces together fragments of selfhood and identity.

Sangre Mia is a testament to the unexpected alliances forged in the pursuit of reclamation. It is a journey of tracing the way back, following the process of erasure and reimagining the narrative. Through art, these artists find support in the most unexpected places—their own creative process, the tactile materials they work with, and the shared stories of those who have walked similar paths.

As you explore Sangre Mia, you are invited to immerse yourself in the physicality of these artworks. The artists, like explorers of their own history, have chosen to work with their hands to construct a bridge between the past and the present, between assimilation and authenticity.

Photos by Roxanne Grey from 801 Salon