07/16/2023
“They Didn’t Know We Were Seeds”, 2022, created in honor of my
family and reflects the story of contributions of families to the
cultivation of the lands, economies, and culture of the United States. The
expression, “They tried to bury us. They didn’t know we were seeds.”,
expresses the feelings of black and brown
families whose physical labor of the past and today continues to be
overlooked as the success of our country.
The seeds planted were not only those in the fields, but were also the
seeds of hopes and dreams for families to make a better life for
themselves. Many of those families’ next generations grew up as citizens of
the U.S. who continue to contribute to the economy, culture, and identity of
the U.S. as professionals and essential parts of the community.
The photograph features my grandparents and my father as a little boy
sitting between them at an unknown farm, one of
many they worked during his childhood. Green and brown rows of crops
converge at my father’s head. Strips of the U.S. American
flag are tied through the painting to symbolize the contributions made by
this family to the U.S. Below the figures are abstract shapes inspired by
indigenous Mexican art, such as the native Mixtecan
peoples. These abstracted shapes represent lost culture, ancestry, and
heritage. The shapes overlap each other and the rows of crops. The lines
transform into roots towards the bottom of the painting representing the
connection between families, belonging, and establishing permanence.
Just like a plant puts down roots into the soil, so do people as they settle in a location they create “roots” that run deep and contribute to the stability of
the community.
