Elizabeth VelazquezVelazquez

US, 1977

Elizabeth VelazquezVelazquez

The cyclical forces of destruction and reconstruction drive my creative process. My urge to build, deconstruct and rebuild connects with a desire to dismantle, eradicate and transform physical, psychological and social injustices. Though it may seem counterintuitive, in fact, destruction is central to choosing and manipulating material, constructing work and conceptualizing it. Immateriality, roundness, compression, connectedness and veneration in tandem with opposing forces are concepts I reflect on and manifest in my artwork.
Space and site specificity are central to my thought process. Working outdoors is essential along withmaintaining connection to ancestors and Earth. Medicinal and metaphysical properties of plants captivate me, and become physical and spiritual material in my art and rituals. I have a reverence for using black and understand black as sacred, having immense presence, ancient traces and primordial qualities that I reveal in my work both through materiality and in ritualistic form.