Settler Geometries

In 2022, I was invited to exhibit as part of the group show titled “Many” at Craft Contemporary by curator Holly Berger. This installation, “Settler Geometries,” was an extension of my interest of exploring the relationship between settler colonialism, gentrification, and homelessness. Using linocut-based laser engravings, the piece reflects on the commodification of land as a private resource, which this piece argues lies at the root of current issues around the speculation of real estate and the crisis in unaffordable housing that pushes many into the streets.

The tents reference the dwellings unhoused people use to sleep in the streets, while the traditional Tongva “kiiys” remind us that this process has roots in the colonial encounter. The soil at the base of the installation is sourced from my hometown of Salinas, CA, and is placed in small glass vials with satirical messaging. Using brayers traditionally used for inking blocks, I created geometric patterns reminiscent of map shapes to harken to the role cartography plays in these processes.