Remember when…

Leslie Lopez

Degree: Fine Arts Practice, BFA

My parents were immigrants and so as a child I was very connected with my Mexican roots through our yearly travels to Mexico. I was exposed to Mexican art and culture during trips to Sunday markets where all kinds of artisanal work was being sold. Pottery, metalwork, glasswork, textiles. It was everywhere.

However, as I grew older my life here in California became more important and there came a point in which those trips to Mexico completely ended. Now, as I move into my mid-twenties there is a sense of loss growing with every year that passes by knowing that I grow more distant from my family’s roots. Although I am physically distanced from Mexico and all that it represents, I am attempting to get closer mentally and physically through this series.

I took inspiration from the widely known molcajete- a stone mortar and pestle type tool- and combined it with imagery from photos that I took during my trips to Mexico when I was a teenager. The pieces resemble the molcajete on the outside with their rough texture and black stain while the inside of each piece has images representing specific memories of places and events. The smooth surface on the inside renders each piece useless for grinding, the key function of the molcajete, and instead allows it to have its own purpose in accordance with its altered form, similar to how I have been shaped by both Mexican and American culture.

The repetitive process of making the same form again and again by hand is my way of connecting with and understanding the many artisans that dedicate their lives to perfecting a certain craft. They have an important role in representing Mexico’s art and culture and have influenced my own art style. This series is a representation of my journey into my past memories and allowing them to influence me through this new experience of reconnection.