Opening Reception: Sunday, January 26, 1-3pm*
Artist Talk guided by Howard el-Yasin February 2, 2pm
Perla Mabel My practice is an ongoing dialogue between the sacred, the personal, and the political—an exploration of how memory, culture, and spirituality converge through material, color, and form. Drawing from my Afro-Caribbean heritage and queer identity, I aim to transcend the constraints of traditional portraiture by engaging with the rich, ritualistic practices of Santería, ancestral reverence, and folk traditions. Each piece I create is a prayer, a labor of love, and an offering to my ancestors and to those I hold dear. In my work, I honor the intersections of my identity, using materials like satin, beads, and found objects to transform each painting into a living altar. My process is deeply informed by ancestral guidance and divination, where color, composition, and scale are often shaped by the wisdom shared by elders. Like the ritualistic altar-building traditions in my culture, my art serves as a space for spiritual healing and reflection. I paint to give my ancestors their flowers while they can still smell them, and to preserve the essence of those I love, holding them in sacred reverence. For me, painting is an intimate act of connection, where the personal is folded into the cosmic. In works like Morir Soñando and Fuego Violeta, I channel the spiritual forces that shape my experience, drawing upon the sacred practices of my Indigenous and African roots to craft portraits that are at once deeply personal and universally resonant. In Ascension, I explore the painful and transformative nature of trauma, using symbolism and tactile elements to reflect the paradox of spiritual death and rebirth. These works do not simply depict subjects; they embody rituals of protection, prayer, and empowerment. The mythologies of my heritage, such as the figure of La Ciguapa, also weave their way into my work, reflecting my connection to folklore, storytelling, and the interdimensional nature of my existence. As I build these works, I envision my creations as living beings—spirits that transcend time and space, moving between worlds and claiming agency over their own narrative. In Ciguapa, I embody a warrior spirit, one that calls upon the strength inherent within me, while simultaneously acknowledging the forces of colonization that seek to erase my history. My practice is not just an exploration of identity; it is a sacred act of witnessing and honoring those who have come before me and those who walk alongside me. I paint as a form of resistance, not just against the erasure of my culture, but against the silencing of those who dare to exist in their embodied truth. Through my work, I invite the viewer into a space where the past, present, and future coexist—where tradition and transformation are one and the same. This work is a meditation on beauty, strength, survival, and the continuous act of becoming. My hands are my prayer; my art, my offering. Through this program, I look forward to engaging with new perspectives that will challenge and enrich my practice, fostering dialogue between tradition and transformation.
Perla Mabel (they/them) is an Afro-Caribbean interdisciplinary artist born in Boston, but grew up both there and in the Dominican Republic. Channeling themes of survival and recalling historical events and figures from their culture, their practice reclaims their Blackness by incorporating satin fabrics used in Santeria rituals. Along with beads, cowries, and various objects in their paintings and installations to incorporate generationally passed down ways of adornment. If you look for her, Santa Marta appears through snakes and hues of the water. Mabel cultivates safe spaces for their sitters and hosts free creative wellness workshops since 2019. They imbue portraiture with empowerment by documenting and caring for the narratives of light.
*Opening Reception storm date: Feb 2, 1-3
