ART + DESIGN
“What’s most important to me is not centering myself too heavily within the work. While the pieces are rooted in my experience and discovery, I try to keep the figures and silhouettes simple and restrained.” “I hope viewers leave the exhibition thinking more deeply about the spaces they move through and the people who built them—empathy to those people,” said Astete. For the artist, the connection between the act of etching, cutting, and assembling materials with the themes of migration and identity are not only rooted in intention, but support one another. Mariana Astete | Reensamblaje Astete’s process began with trying to understand her own story. Through education and her process creating, conceptual frameworks have evolved. As she makes her art, she reconstructs stories, representing the broader histories of the world. “As someone who migrated from Chile to the United States, I found myself constantly negotiating identity, language, labor, and belonging,” said Astete. “Printmaking became a way to physically dismantle and reconstruct those experiences.” Inspiration for Astete comes from everyday environments, workers, bulletin boards, waiting rooms— any space that may appear ordinary, but carries with them systems of power and hierarchy. “ Reensamblaje centers on migration, printmaking, drawing, and cultural reassembly,” explained Astete. “The show includes large-scale prints where small figures inhabit oversized environments…spaces that feel institutional and constructed.” Reensamblaje is not just a title, it’s a condition, Astete clarifies. Living between languages, systems, and structures while finding a way to reconstruct yourself is what it’s about.
MARIANA ASTETE
16 | 605MAGAZINE.COM
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