Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons

The Völklingen Ironworks flooded in red light
Copyright: Weltkulturerbe Völklinger Hütte | Oliver Dietze

Campos Pons John Russell courtesy of Vanderbilt University.

Campos Pons John Russell courtesy of Vanderbilt University.
Copyright: John-Russell courtesy of Vanderbilt University.

born 1959 in Matanzas, Cuba
lives and works in Matanzas, Cuba und Nashville, USA

Web presence

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maria_magdalena_campos_pons/

Works

My Mother Told Me I Am Chinese: China Porcelain

Date
2008

Video, 5:48min

Description

María Magdalena Campos-Pons’s work coincides with the rise of the New Cuban Art movement which began as a reaction against the repressive aspects of the Cuban state. A large part of this artistic movement was the introduction of Afro-Cuban presence, both as artists and within the art itself. Campos-Pons investigates a felt history, through the intersection of nonspoken narratives and resilient culture, rendering elements of personal history and persona. As a result of the invitation to participate in the 2008 Guangzhou triennial, she investigated her Chinese ancestry and created the installation My Mother Told Me I Am Chinese: China Porcelain. The video included shows her in front of a mirror and performing a sort of ritual. She wears a Yoruba mask, which she later removes to paint her face white and cover her head with a veil, like a porcelain doll, suggesting a resemblance between the figures while also revealing a multifaceted and different appearance between Africa and Asia.

Exhibitions