At Rest

At Rest brings together the works of six multigenerational Latinx artists to examine the importance of rest and recharging as a means of challenging societal norms and reflecting on their own personal histories.

The notion of rest within immigrant families is often regarded as a "blessing" which is bestowed after working long and strenuous hours. This need to survive has drained families of energy, leaving them feeling frustrated, exhausted, and with no time to take care of themselves.

Reflecting on their own experiences, the artists in this exhibition look at generational cycles of this mindset and give insight into how they break these patterns, creating space for their own well­being and that of those around them. What emerges visually are works that are sensitive to the nuanced and varied relationships these artists have to their personal histories and Latin American heritage.

Henry Morales uses painting, mixed media, sculpture, and ready-made objects to create works that draw inspiration from his experience as a second generation Guatemalan American, often creating works that are connected to themes of hybridity, identity, labor, and immigration. Chloe Luisa Pinero's works in mixed media painting, collage, and sculpture allow her to reflect on her own experiences and familial histories from both her native home of Philadelphia and her ancestral home of Puerto Rico. Pinero aims to preserve stories and memories tied to place while exploring themes of gender, queerness, and desire as they relate to her own identity. Estelle Maisonett uses found objects, photography, and sourced clothing to create life-sized collages that document her experience living in NYC. Her interdisciplinary collages are a form of self and communal reflection that question how individuals create preconceived notions of value, economic status, race, culture, sexual orientation, and gender based on personal experiences. Comedor Azul is a group of three multidisciplinary artists who live and work in Miami, Florida and Los Angeles, CA. Their practice revolves around the gathering, remembering, rooting, and cooking of reimagined and ancestral practices from their respective motherlands.

Whether it be by themselves, with a partner, with their families, with friends, or with their broader communities, the artists of At Rest show us the various ways they choose to rest and recharge either physically, mentally, or spiritually. In so doing, they invite viewers to reflect on their own experiences, to consider how to prioritize their own well-being, and to explore the potential of collective rest and recharge in a society that often makes rest within marginalized communities seem as a taboo act only reserved for an elite few.