When touched, the hypersensitive makahiya plant folds its minuscule leaflets inward, defending itself from any potential risk.
Florence Solis attracts on this defensive response in an ethereal assortment of portraits. Starting with digital collages that meld figures and delicate, natural ornaments, the Filipino-Canadian artist interprets the imagined kinds to the canvas. Shrouded in dainty, beaded veils or entwined with botanicals, every protagonist seems certain and hid, their our bodies and faces obscured by hair or grass.
As Solis sees it, the figures could also be restricted, however they’re additionally capable of finding energy and transformation. “Filipino girls, very similar to the makahiya, have been taught to yield, to melt, to take up much less area,” she says. “And but, beneath this quietness lies an plain pressure—one which persists, adapts, and reclaims area in its personal manner.”
Working in saturated, typically single-color palettes, Solis renders figures who seem to harness magical powers. She references Filipino folklore and the idea within the energy of the on a regular basis to result in the divine, portray girls rooted in custom and fantasy, but decided to see their transformation by way of.
The vivid portraits proven right here might be on view at EXPO CHICAGO this week with The Mission Projects. Discover extra from Solis on Instagram.
