Anna Arzeno
SENIOR ART THESIS EXHIBITION
Contact Information
Anna Arzeno
Anna Arzeno
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
ARTIST STATEMENT
Since moving from the Dominican Republic to the United States for my undergraduate education, I have been through what I would describe as a never-ending loop of experiencing culture shock. Being a foreigner in the US has been an emotional journey marked by ups and downs. At times, nostalgia and homesickness have led me to idealize my Dominican culture, selectively erasing the challenges I faced in the DR. However, going home is met with the disappointment that my romanticized memories do not align with reality.
This constant shift between the two countries has made me feel like I have been starting and restarting a honeymoon phase throughout the last three years. I am determined to break free from this cycle of unrealistic depictions of life in both countries. This series of large-sized oil paintings function as projections of my day-to-day self reflections on the duality of feelings I have towards mi islita. They are not conclusive thoughts but rather an ongoing conversation, and although these paintings don’t serve as self-portraits, I see myself in all my characters.