Uprooted Memories: Echoes of Our Past


Untitled, 2022
bedsheet and charcoal
H. 80″ x W. 60″
Untitled, 2022
tea bags and thread
H. 40″ x W. 40″
Calle Zafiro 10, 2022
metal and bed sheets
H. 80″ x W. 50″

“I find inspiration in people and in small things, I’m inspired by the sensitive, the things that change. I’m attracted to the poetic and the deeper feelings of the human experience. Through my artistic practices and the use of various materials, My hope/aim is to bring people closer. I see art as a conduit, therefore installation and performance become a mode of communication.”

Untitled (Sabana)

“What do you think about when you can’t sleep?” This is a recurring question that Lopera gets asked when going through periods of insomnia. On this bed sheet, Lopera writes her stream of consciousness as a way to endure her sleepless nights. She documents her internal conflicts; the thoughts and feelings that are regurgitated onto her sheets describe worries stemming from her career and even past relationships. The artist says, “I write on my bedsheets so that I can rest on them, rest on my thoughts.” Lopera writes with charcoal so that all of those whirlwind thoughts can be washed away. This is a very intimate process that reveals her vulnerability. These writings are loose sentences written in her native language that echo her thoughts and feelings from the past and present, and memories filled with nostalgia and uncertainty.

Untitled (Tea bags)

This work is an extension of Untitled (sabana). Lopera constantly looks for objects, processes, or remedies that can help with her insomnia. Sewing, and the repetitiveness of weaving thread without any particular pattern, have brought some comfort as a meditative process in her quest for sleep conciliation. She began to use tea bags as a therapeutic vessel and soon incorporated them into the embroidery process. The scent of these tea bags continued to linger, resulting in an intimate and personal space for Lopera. These tea bags created a visual, tactile, and aromatic encounter that released stress.

Calle Zafiro 10 (Planos)

Rebeca Lopera’s practice is informed by her past, present, and the places she inhabits, always looking at her heritage, traditions, and origins. Calle Zafiro 10 is a work that represents the blueprints of her home back in Spain. This is a celebration of her childhood home and memories.

Details – text on Untitled (sabana)

Biography:

Rebeca Lopera is a Miami-based artist from Madrid, Spain. She completed her BFA at the Complutense University of Madrid. She is currently a FIU MFA candidate. Lopera is a multidisciplinary artist. Her practice is informed by sculpture and installation.

Email: rlope337@fiu.edu

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rebecalopera.art/