I created sculptural portraits of my family, intentionally broken to reveal the fragmented but hyper-realistic faces of each person. When contemplating them, issues such as the fragility of the body, beauty, loss, and death resonate with me.

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It was a difficult decision to portray people I love and especially, to break the masks, it was a very hard and violent moment, but crucial to the message of the work. Showing the fragmented faces intensifies the idea that life can be interrupted at any moment.

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The concept finds a parallel in ex votos, which are offered in gratitude to a saint or deity for a favor granted, often prostheses or casts of diseased body parts, reflect the need or gratitude for healing. Like my sculptures, ex votos show us the complexity of the human condition, fragility, and imperfection, but also hope and the ability to find beauty and meaning in wounds and pain.