David Rios Ferreira

Lives and works in Jersey City, NJ, USA

Artist statement

My abstract drawings, sculptures, and installations delve into the past by merging historical etchings of colonial narratives and political cartoons depicting American imperialism with elements from children's coloring books and pop culture. I deconstruct and reassemble these sources to form temporal beings and hybrid landscapes. These figures act as vessels for imagined histories, reflecting how the body interprets and transforms historical memory. This exploration is rooted in my identity as a Puerto Rican and shaped by the U.S. government's deculturalization efforts in Puerto Rico, which persisted until the mid-1950s—strategies my parents remember as nursery rhymes and school pledges. Additionally, I draw from the experiences of my nephews on the autism spectrum, who use cartoons as a communicative tool, often imitating dialogue from their favorite films to engage with the world around them. The ability of my nephews to remix existing material to navigate their reality inspires my work. This practice echoes the Caribbean and West African traditions of crafting carnival costumes and masks from recycled fragments. Everyday objects become ingredients for structures of power, spiritual tradition, and tools for addressing social and political issues. These different yet structurally aligned practices serve as inspiration for my work. Coloring books and animation, historical references, and other appropriated images are the "found objects" I use to construct new identities to...

Artwork