“Remnants and the Course of Life”/ “Retazos e Hilo de la Vida”: Sacramento’s La Raza Galería Posada Debuts Multimedia artist Mariana Castro de Ali

The works of Mariana Castro.

(Sacramento, CA) The fabric of women’s lives, quite literally, is the subject of multimedia artist Mariana Castro de Ali. Titled “Remnants and the Course of Life”/ “Retazos e Hilo de la Vida,” this exhibit continues La Raza Galería Posada’s 2010 spotlight of Latina artists from both Mexico and California.

Castro de Ali’s materials might startle some. “I live in a mundane world; I create art with things that surround me. I use tampons, coffee filters, thread, and tea bags and also use canvases, watercolors and traditional printmaking techniques. I enjoy the juxtapositions of these apparently opposite elements (the traditional materials and the mundane ones), it makes my art credible, real. “

The artist reception will be Friday, July 9 from 5:30-7:30 PM. La Raza Galería Posada is a non-profit, multi-disciplinary cultural center located in the lively Midtown district at 1022-1024 22nd Street between J and K Sts. in Sacramento, California.

“Art is a productive attitude that engages me with my ancestors, my heritage, and my history. It brings back the memories of my childhood, the times I spent with my abuelita Queta, my grandmother, weaving baskets, making quilts and recycling objects such as plastic bottles, cereal boxes, cans, fabric and soda caps to create something else such as geometric objects and amorphous pieces.”

The oldest child in her family, Castro de Ali is from Ciudad Obregon, Sonora Mexico where Mexico’s crafting tradition is still a compelling source of inspiration. ““I cannot escape from the creativity and expression present in the collective memory that comes from the repetition of craft styles inherited from past generations, “she explains.

She left Mexico a few years after NAFTA was signed and the so-called “December mistake” was implemented (the crisis brought about by the Mexican peso devaluation in the mid-nineties). “These events caused an economic recession in my country so severe that our family was no longer able to sustain itself economically.”

She met her Pakistani husband, the first day she arrived in the Bay Area---they could not communicate with words because he spoke Urdu and English and she only spoke Spanish at that time. They used drawings to communicate with each other.

“I find that words can be a source of misunderstanding; many people misinterpret the point you are making due to the limitation of language. This does not happen with art pieces. The viewer develops their own dialogue—their own personal connection with a piece so the message can never be broken or misunderstood because it is internal, from the self to the art.”

One powerful piece of particular note is “ABC de La Memoria.” It is dedicated to the forty-nine children from Hermosillo who were burned to death in a tragic fire at a childcare center. The piece is done with deep respect and took over a year to be completed. She will not put a price on it. Castro de Ali says of the work, “’ABC de La Memoria’ serves as a historical memory so that these tragedies will not repeat themselves.”

Sacramento artist Juan Carrillo curates this exhibition. “Castro de Ali has exhibited in various cities in California and Mexico over the past four years. She is a dedicated painter, printmaker, installation artist, filmmaker and videographer. Here, she works in multimedia exploring images that address issues of womanhood, transnationalism and environmentalism.”

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Public programs held during the exhibit will include workshops, film screenings, artist talks, and other culturally significant and educational programming. A full schedule is listed below.


Thursday July 8th: New Latin American Film Series - Arrancame La Vida 7pm
Friday July 9th: Artist Reception and public opening for Mariana Castro de Ali - Retazos e Hilo de la Vida/Remnants and the Course of Life www.castrodeali.com

Saturday July 10th: Second Saturday
Wednesday July 14th: Artist Talk with Mariana Castro de Ali