Caravan, La Bestia

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Artist: Ileana Soto

Title: Caravan, La Bestia

Attribution: Caravan, La Bestia

Year: 2021

Materials: Silk broadcloth, linen, silk organza, various vintage cottons; hand dyeing , fusing, thermofax screens

Dimensions: 22" h x 37" w

Image Statement: My work is tied to a commitment to personal deepening, expression and exploration. I strive to create a dialogue between myself, world events, and the cloth. Step by step, complexity is reflected in the layering of dye, paint, and cloth over cloth. Here, I visualize the dangerous journey to our southern border. La Bestia, a train, a caravan, represents the means of transport that migrants and refugees have used to reluctantly leave a place they have loved. It is a means to escape war, violence, abuse, or economic deprivation for the chance of a better life in another land.