Gadiel Rivera Herrera
From Puerto Rico
Medium: Ceramics, Sculpture, Painting
Site: Gadiel on Instagram
Artist Statement
My work arises from memory, objects, and everyday experiences that accumulate and transform during the creative process. I start from history, mythology and spirituality of Africa and the Caribbean. My Black roots constantly influence my work. My personal interpretation of events from the past and present is integrated with the experience of being Black today in Puerto Rico. The Caribbean sea, flora, and fauna also motivate and inspire my work; I appropriate them and their symbols to tell stories.
I work with a variety of techniques and materials that offer nuance in helping me express every idea, every feeling. They make it easy for details to emerge, that the oneiric is interpreted and takes shape, a transformative encounter.
The duality between the artisanal and the conceptual of my art have always been linked in my work, side by side. I am interested in detail, meticulousness, and the repetitive process that becomes mantra.