Melissa Misla

Artist Statement

Wander Bread is a part of my series “Bendita Casita”, a collection of works that depict an amalgamated Latinx apartment and celebrates the Puerto Rican diaspora in New York. The works use imagery related to the precarious nature of lived-in spaces while also exploring the adaptation of Caribbean culture in a threatened urban environment.  Showcasing the duality of the Latinx experience within the home, Wander Bread depicts an apartment window, much like that of many Nuyoricans, that honors the culture of the island despite the dramatically different surroundings. This mixed media work, expresses the complexities of my own identity through the blending of cultures both of the island of Puerto Rico, and the islands that make up New York. With plastic in replace of real flowers, slice bread instead of pan de agua, this work connects to the creative “make-do” approach that has formed my identity as an artist. Created during the quarantine, Wander Bread emphasizes our recently renewed connection with the home and our relationships with the view from our windows, both looking inward and out.

View more work by Melissa Misla.