During my residency at Casa Lü Sur in Mexico City, I collected ornamental designs from various sources including artifacts in museums, pop culture in the city, artisan markets, etc. and created multiple decorated pallets for new site-specific transient installations in my Cultured Pallets series as well as other works. I use shipping pallets to embody and facilitate the notion of cultural translation by returning to the etymological roots of translation as “carrying or bringing across.” In these installations, the decorated pallets metaphorically serve as objects of holding: “bearers of culture” that continuously circulate across peoples and cultures. As a result, my work evokes issues of migration as people, ultimately, function as “bearers” and “translators” of culture in our current globalized state. Cultured Pallets: CDMX exhibition is the culmination of my work in this residency.
"Cultured Pallets: Medallion on wooden chest", mixed media on wooden shipping pallet, 30in x 30in x 4in, 2025, Photo: Casa Lü Sur
Left: "Cultured Pallets: Turtle Dove", mixed media on wooden shipping pallet, 30in x 30in x 5in, 2025
Right: "Cultured Pallets: William Morris at Casa Lü Sur", acrylic on wooden shipping pallets, approx. 60in x 30in x 36in (each pallet 30in x 30in x 5in), 2025, Photo: Casa Lü Sur
"Cultured Pallets: William Morris at Casa Lü Sur", acrylic on wooden shipping pallets, approx. 60in x 30in x 36in (each pallet 30in x 30in x 5in), 2025, Photo: Casa Lü Sur
Cultured Pallets: CDMX, installation view, Photo: Casa Lü Sur
Cultured Pallets: CDMX, installation view, Photo: Casa Lü Sur
"CDMX Ducks", collected objects, 2025, Photo: Casa Lü Sur
"Birds of Mexico", mixed media, 8.5x11 in, 2025, Photo: Casa Lü Sur
"Birds of Mexico", detail, mixed media, 8.5x11 in, 2025, Photo: Casa Lü Sur
"CDMX Patterns on Plates", mixed media on Ikea posters, 16x20 in, 2025, Photo: Casa Lü Sur
"Bird Plates", hand cut Ikea posters, 11.5x11.5 in, 2025, Photo: Casa Lü Sur
"Bird Plates", hand cut Ikea posters, 11.5x11.5 in, 2025, Photo: Casa Lü Sur
"Bird Plates", hand cut Ikea posters, 11.5x11.5 in, 2025, Photo: Casa Lü Sur
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