Graft|Expochgo
This iteration of Graft features a seating sculpture modeled on Puerto Rico's idiomatic bus shelters. For this sculpture, I sourced the 4 point star motif from a personal archive of decorative concrete blocks from Puerto Rico rooted in West African Adinkra symbology. Adinkra are symbols from Ghana that represent concepts or aphorisms and are used extensively in fabrics, logos, pottery and architecture. In Adinkra, the 4 point star or Eban, is a symbol of love, safety and protection. Additionally, the sculpture features bilingual essays in which writers from disciplines of art history, art, architecture, politics and others are invited to reflect in the contexts of their individual fields of expertise. These essays are available to visitors through a QR code adhere to the sculpture. As an artist and organizer, I also think about my relationship with the City of Chicago and the diverse communities I interact with. For this iteration of Graft, I gathered a group of performers from various sectors of the city to activate the bus shelter sculpture. From family members to musicians and strangers, each performer contributes to a positive memory that formed in the city that connects to my journey to self care and wellness.