WRITINGS — LISA DEABREU

At the heart of my artistic practice lies this sense of rootlessness*, stemming from the time I spent when I was little on the islands my family calls home*. My upbringing as a Caribbean American* being raised in New York amidst a tapestry of cultures, visual symbols of home*, and familial recollections*. I navigate the complexities of identity shared by many in the diaspora*. In my quest for understanding and yearning for interconnection*, I delve into the remnants of my family's history*. With a diverse array of mediums including paintings, drawings, photographs, ornate objects, metal, wood, and thrifted fabrics, all of which evoke this essence of home* I embark on a conscious and intuitive approach to the making.

Through the process of piecing together these elements*, I embark on a dialogue with the pasts of the found or thrifted objects, my familial past and the broader socio-cultural forces that have shaped it*. My creative exploration is deeply intertwined with themes of class*, accessibility*, connection*, and the representation of histories*. By weaving together these threads of memory*,my aim is to bridge the gaps between past and present, and to foster a sense of connection and repair*.

Central to my artistic journey is a rigorous research process*, drawing from ancestral*, genealogical*, and ethnographic* sources to unearth layers of consciousness* and access the voices of those who came before me*. Yet, in this pursuit of understanding, I am confronted with the weight of generational trauma* that courses through my history much like many others*. And just like the intricate layers of my ancestral heritage* and familial lore*, my artistic practice is imbued with a similar complexity in the combinatory way I've pieced things together*.

As I continue to grapple with the fragments of our collective past*, my work serves as a vessel for healing* and reconciliation*. Through the act of compiling memory* that is told, found and my own, I endeavor to establish connections that transcend the fabric of time and space*. My ultimate goal is to pave a path* towards healing and understanding, embracing the intricacies of our shared history* while forging new narratives of resilience* and empowerment of our personal stories.*

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rootlessness* - /ˈruːt.ləs.nəs/ a feeling of not having a home to return to. Of having no roots, feeling a disconnect esp (of a person) having no ties with a particular place or community.

the islands my family calls home* - My mother was born and raised in Jamaica, her dad was from Trinidad, mother from Jamaica. Father born in Aruba raised in St. Croix U.S.V.I. His mother was born in Colombia raised in Aruba, and his father was from Guyana.

Caribbean American* - Americans who trace their ancestry to the Caribbean. Caribbean Americans are a multi-ethnic and multi-racial group that trace their ancestry further in time mostly to Africa, as well as Asia, the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, and to Europe. As of 2016, about 13 million — about 4% of the total U.S. population — have Caribbean ancestry.

"United States - Selected Population Profile in the United States (West Indian (excluding Hispanic origin groups) (300-359))". 2008 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 2020-02-12. Retrieved 2010-03-18.

visual symbols of home* - the wrought iron gates in front of my parents house, my great grandmother's homes and the criss-cross metal gates in my familial back yard. Certain tablecloths, tapestries, and nostalgic domestic items.

familial recollections* - family folklore, stories passed down orally and ancestral memories.

the complexities of identity shared by many in the diaspora* - the way in which we identify as Nationality, ethnicity, racially, by the divisive ways of our oppressors to separate us and increase a divide.Referring to the layered, often fragmented experience of people whose histories, cultures, and sense of self have been shaped by displacement, migration, and colonization—particularly those of African descent.

interconnection*- to connect with one another, to be or become mutually connected. representing layered relationships between ancestry, personal and collective experience, material and meaning as well as time and space.

remnants of my family's history*- what's left from family, physical material, stories, oral tradtion, what has been archived, what has been unintentionally kept, the undiscovered bits. The family tree, the paper trail

essence of home* - more than just a physical place—it conveys a deep emotional, cultural, and spiritual resonance tied to: memory, nostalgia, cultural identity, emotional anchoring and material representation that signify belonging, even in the face of migration, change, or generational loss.

piecing together these elements* - referring to the literal art-making process and the deeper emotional and cultural inquiry. Assembling diverse materials to draw connection, reconstructing familial and personal memory, navigating complex identity layers, engaging in healing and meaning making.

dialogue with the pasts of the found or thrifted objects* - engaging with the memory that these objects chosen already hold. whether it is a thrifted object that belonged to someone else or a familial object passed down through generations. In Worn Worlds: Clothes Mourning and the Life of Things. We are called to think about how another person's essence is entrapped in the object when they pass on. They receive the human imprint. They can imbue their smell and their presence. But we are not just dealing with that object's history but their material history as well, where it was made, how that region came to make it, how it was traded or the techniques of its making were passed on.

my familial past and the broader socio-cultural forces that have shaped it* - imperialism, slavery, migration, colonialism in the histories of the peoples of the diaspora (and everyone else) that are directly linked.

themes of class* - refers to the socioeconomic dynamics that influence the lives, experiences, and access to resources of the communities and histories I engage with. I use thrifted fabrics, metal, and wood—materials that often carry associations with working-class life, reuse, and survival. These choices reflect the economic conditions of the communities you’re drawing from, resisting elitist notions of what is "worthy" in fine art. Themes of class could also point to how labor, poverty, generational opportunity, and economic migration shape identity. Your work might reference the unseen labor (often gendered and racialized) that has built homes, families, and cultures.

accessibility* - there is a material, cultural and conceptual accessibility at work here. I am referring to materials, messages, and meanings—available, relatable, and reachable to a wide range of people, especially those who may have been historically excluded from art conversations.

connection* -a causal or logical relation or sequence the tie between two ideas. A contextual relation or association. A relation of personal intimacy (as of family ties), links that come together, coherence, continuity.

representation of histories* - because of this multiplicitous story of connection there are multiples histories that are connected purposefully and serendipitously.

threads of memory* - literal threads of material that have been handled by different hands, different references to pull from to weave together more of the story.

bridge the gaps between past and present* - We are trying to have an intergenerational conversation that transcends time and space, recognizing history as we move forward to learn and grow.

repair* - the physical act of suturing and mending material with sewing, crocheting and knitting practices taught to me by my grandmothers. A metaphorical mending of history connecting lost segments.

research processes* - Familial oral, written and photographic archival research. Anthropological research, Caribbean - Church, missionary, land, and enslavement records. Histories of material, objects, trade, learned generational knowledge. Histories of indigeneity, colonization, rebellion, race relations, migration, imperialism.

ancestral* -

genealogical* -

unearth layers of consciousness* -

the voices of those who came before me* -

generational trauma* -

courses through my history much like many others* - history of the african diaspora, slave trade, displacement, Immigrant stories.

layers of my ancestral heritage*-

familial lore*-

i've pieced things together*-

fragments of our collective past*-

vessel for healing* -

reconciliation* -