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The Coffee Ritual Series

The pieces in this series take us to contemplate a simpl

e cup of coffee as symbolic and full of meaning. I have combined a highly industrialized product, the coffee capsules which I have recycled, with a handcrafted product, the recycled silk and cotton yarns I have used to bind and keep the capsules together. I take each capsule and the cup of coffee it was used to make as a representation of the moment that cup filled and the moment lived by the person who had it. Was that person working, reading, talking with friends, was he by himself, was he doing business? The yarn represents the human aspect of those moments, of the moments shared with family and friends around a cup of coffee, of the books read, of the moments of relaxation or those of excitement and possible stress before closing up a deal or getting ready for an exam. Besides, the pieces themselves, with that contrast of materials bound together, face us with a modern dilemma: what is more “civilized”? an industrialized product, convenient, effortless and considered “clean” but which actually pollutes and creates waste before and after its actual use, even if it's recyclable, or a hand-made product, crafted by hand using timeless techniques and recycled materials? What can be considered more “primitive” in an era where we are supposed to be more aware and accountable for our actions, especially those that affect our planet?

The works can be read from different perspectives and those dialogs and some conclusions we can come to contribute to their symbolic richness. The acrylic and aluminum works on canvas are inspired on the pieces of tapestries, and

incorporate the “waste” material form the capsules when I poke the holes to be able to work on them. They play on the movement and reflections of the tapestries as they hang draped, and incorporated the line and gesture elements that characterize my latest works.

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