MARISSA GUERRERO

ARTIST STATEMENT

“When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re not sending you. They’re not sending you. They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.”

- President of the United States Donald J. Trump

My work is a reaction to the world and politics surrounding me. As a Hispanic American, I am affected by the current political climate. My art is a commentary on current immigration policies such as the ending of DACA, the separation of families at the border, and undocumented children being kept in cages. My proximity to the Mexican border has allowed me to know many DACA recipients and to witness their ever-present fear of ICE deportation. The treatment of Mexican immigrants claiming asylum and Mexican-Americans, specifically, declined as they are now treated increasingly as something less than human. This has driven me to research Hispanic culture and material that is reminiscent of Mexican traditions. From this cultural and materialistic research, I became fascinated with the piñata’s history and use in traditional Mexican ceremonies. The piñata, originally a religious symbol, represents the seven deadly sins, and the sweet fruit, or candy, is the reward for being virtuous. The person, who is traditionally blind folded, represents them being blinded to the sins, and the breaking of the pinata represents them overcoming their sins, the fruit or candy their reward. The piñatas I’ve sculpted allude to the virtue and goodness that immigrants bring with them as well. The breaking of the pinata will release the seeds and fruit and will only grow if nurtured.