Pilar Acevedo

The theme of “dolls” often appears in my work to serve as a detachment in persona; the semblance “she” allows me to process experience and memory to tactile form, to view them unmasked. The dolls, as found objects or papier-mâché sculpture can appear as whole or as pieces of assemblage. I look to capture cerebral, intangible memories as well as those that manifest themselves in matter—those that are resurrected by the nostalgia of objects. I deal with facets of loss, and often elevate and adorn objects or people that represent loss. I often portray the loss of childhood as a form of death.

I also address subconscious fears that stem from the uncertainties of childhood, from a childlike perspective or from the perspective of an outsider who identifies with, and wants to protect, the children that are my subjects. At times the outsider is invited to connect with fragments of his/her own childhood or to simply appreciate the immaculate quiet of children.

I marry my original paintings, drawings, and sculptures with figures of contrasting media and textures, evoking the tactile and the ethereal. I attach importance to physical depth in my work; the sculpture and mixed-media pieces invite the viewer to explore them.