LINEAGE | A Collection of Embroidered works

The show “Lineage” is currently on display at Arosa Cafe in Seattle, WA. This collection began when my mom gave me a stack of small art books that had belonged to her father, my abuelo Eduardo.

Eduardo Lozano lived his last years at Aegis on Madison, just a mile from Arosa, and passed away this year. He was an architect and a lifelong student of art history. As a young man in 1950’s Argentina, he began collecting these small books of art reproductions, which opened windows to new and exciting worlds.

As I flipped through the pages of his old books, I started seeing overlaps and stark contrasts between the artists in the pages. Two wildly different dancers. Or a kabuki actor who fit perfectly into a Velazquez composition! With a silent apology (and a sideways glance to my late grandfather), I began ripping out pages, cutting up the text, and sewing them into something new. I worked intuitively and without a plan, letting my sense of humor and absurdity guide me, turning back to the pages of the books for inspiration when I was stuck.

For most of my life, I rarely saw my abuelo, but we got to spend his last couple of years living in the same city. He got to meet my daughter, his first great-grandchild, before he passed. I don't know what he would say if he saw this show. Would he be intrigued by my artistic choices? Disappointed at the destruction of his books? Taken aback by my irreverence?

He had put these "Master Artists" up on a pedestal, celebrating their genius and looking past their varying degrees of arrogance, misogyny, and self-importance. As I spent months working through his books — reading, ripping, cutting, and sewing — I felt like I was talking to him as much as to them or to myself. I hope he would appreciate this collection as a playful conversation. One that nods to the beauty of the original paintings and, respectfully (I hope), questions both the artist and the solemnity of the regard we have for them. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

And, if you are interested in purchasing any of the pieces in the show, check out The Shop for availability and pricing. Please be aware that the entire collection will be up at Arosa through the end of the show (sometime in November 2024) and then will be shipped to you soon after. Thank you for supporting my work!

Sincerely,

Julia