Cuerpo-Tierra or Earth-Body is an exploration of migration, memory, identity, and community as mediated and nurtured by the diverse geographies that hold us. Humans are not ethereal, floating beings; our souls, minds, and bodies are intimately and inextricably connected to the Earth. Just like our plant kin, we are intertwined with the land beneath us, no matter how often we seem to forget this simple yet powerful truth. Immigrant women, specifically, carry the land-based knowledge of our ancestors and have the potential to re-root and flourish in our new home. Our brown bodies may be rejected by a political system, but Mother Earth welcomes us wherever we arrive, as long as we take the time to recognize her and remember our ancestral ways.
My proposal is to represent a woman who travels below and above the ground, living between two cultures, and carrying her memories like a patchwork of keepsakes. Evident in her rooted body are pieces of the geographies, people, and experiences that create who she is – a symbiosis with the potential to dream and embody a more benevolent future for all women and Mother Earth.
