Rebirth of Humanity BFA Show and Visual Poem Video

I was commissioned by a dear friend, Tasha Zigarelli, to make a sculpture of her pregnant belly right in the heat of the pandemic. These uncertain times made this piece a tricky one to follow through with given the worldly issue at hand. By permission by the mother, this became my BFA project for when I graduated from San Jose State University. Because of the pandemic, no one could see the sculpture in person at the Theta Belcher Gallery at San Jose State University. Therefore, I had a vision to create a visual poem (which I like to call it) and showcase this work in nature with my voice over. Poem written with the help of linguistic genius, Joel Hersch, and videography ( also incredible editing skills) by Micheal Daniel with the assistance of Joel Hersch of Swan Dive Media. Lost wax casted aluminum torso, bronze casted anatomical mother and baby hearts, and 56 bronze casted succulents. 269 clocked hours from start to finish.
Enjoy artist statement below!
—
In lieu of the current times with shelter in place, copulation has precedented itself with a resurgence of a new generation. Women becoming pregnant during this era of the pandemic have also witnessed the world raising awareness to the importance of environmental, social, political, racial, and gender issues. These issues are slowly but surely being recognized as critical for reformation. As women, we want to bring our child into a world of peace and harmony, not hatred and strife, like our current trying times.

The unborn are considered to feel the emotions of their mother while in her womb and are connected through the beat of their mother’s heart. The incipient being must sense the mother’s concerns and what she wants that’s best for her child. Rebirth of Humanity is a symbolism of a new generation that has been instilled with the compassion that the world needs, to become a livable one. A resurgence that was thought to be lost; beauty and peace in this world.