Estefania Ajcip's Art Explores Family Separation Through Sculptural Paintings

Los Angeles artist Estefania Ajcip captures the emotional struggles of familial separation in her latest exhibition, Folded Memories. Her work reflects her own childhood experience of living in Guatemala while her father worked in Los Angeles, often missing key moments of her upbringing.

In her sculptural paintings, Ajcip utilizes materials like birch plywood, papier mache, and LED lights to create a surreal landscape where childhood memories and grief intertwine. Drawing from family photographs, she transforms personal nostalgia into striking visual narratives. One notable piece, Momo 2012, depicts two adults holding hands, while a hidden glimpse of a somber girl with a paper train set emerges from the wood.

Recurring themes of separation are evident in works such as Telephone game, where Ajcip is seen holding a paper phone, symbolizing the distance between her and her father, who is positioned at a payphone. Another compelling piece, Four paths/Two paths?, features a bus representing the journey between Los Angeles and Guatemala, with the national bird of Guatemala symbolizing hope.

On display until August 22 at Charlie James Gallery, Ajcip’s exhibition poignantly conveys how her childhood longing for connection informs her artistic expression.

Source: www.thisiscolossal.com