Karina Yanes

1st Place

The Weight We Carry

Stoneware, thread, acrylic paint

20" x 20" x 0.25"

2023

https://karinayanesceramics.squarespace.com

Growing up in a Puerto Rican-Palestinian household in Ohio placed me at the intersection of three cultures, leading to an ongoing struggle to feel that I belonged to any one of these identities. Through my work, I hold onto cultural elements to prevent assimilating into the predominantly White, American culture by which I am surrounded. My work is a celebration of my cultures and a reflection on the bits of them that have been embedded into me. Through my work, I visually represent this blended culture while trying to understand what I can claim as mine, and what happens when such different cultures intersect.