ASHLEY PEREZ

Perez is an alumnus of the national-award-winning creative youth development program SAY Sí. She received her B.F.A. from the University of Texas at San Antonio in painting in 2010. Currently, she runs SAY Sí’s visual arts middle school and high school programs, mentoring the next generation of creative leaders. Her work has been featured at Centro de Artes, Blue Star Contemporary, and the McNay Art Museum.

SOLTAR

The inspiration for this work stems from my current series that focuses on themes of forgiveness and trust. The purple heart or the wandering jew plant is repeated throughout this piece. It is most certainly recognizable as it is a common landscaping element due to its sustainability and bright color. I saw this plant in my neighborhood growing up, and as I moved away from those areas, I realized that I disliked this plant a great deal because they were associated with the bad memories of that time and place. The coral snake, another familiar backyard character, is a part of a collective “bad memory” that lives in our evolutionary history to keep us safe. They are poisonous, but there is no need to panic but acknowledge it and move past it. In highlighting these two visual elements, I am commenting on nature versus nurture and reconciling the past with the hope of living a life unburdened with distrust.