Los Refugiados (The Refugees)
2020
Ceramic, Textile, Wood, Resin, Metal, Paper
Dimensions Variable
Los Refugiados is a powerful art installation that showcases the humanity of Latin American immigrants through a traditional Mexican nativity scene. Clay figures depicting everyday people from all walks of life are used in the piece. The Holy Family is depicted as immigrants crossing the border, while the Christ Child is shown as a Mexican child instead of the usual blue-eyed, blond, and fair baby. Mary and Joseph are dressed in traditional Mexican and Guatemalan garments. This presentation compels the viewer to acknowledge that Mary, Joseph, and the Christ Child were refugees seeking safety from an unjust system of power and that their story is highly relevant to the current plight of immigrants and refugees.
The nativity scene is surrounded by small Mexican clay figures going about their daily lives, as well as sculptures done by the artist depicting the hardships and cruelties immigrants face in crossing the border, particularly family separation and children kept in cages. In today's political climate, it is more important than ever to highlight the humanity of immigrants and refugees. This art installation serves as a poignant reminder of the parallel between the events in the nativity story and the situations faced by immigrants and refugees today.
