Artist Statement

Inspired by her cultural surroundings and the experience of growing up as the daughter of immigrant parents and navigating emotional hardship in her life, Ciridany Genchi Cortez explores the idea of breaking down barriers the community of undocumented immigrants and motivating a feeling of optimism using art forms like installation, making, and sculpture. Her art provides a glimpse into the difficulties and harsh realities immigrants experience coexisting with anti-immigrant sentiments and different cultural backgrounds. The ability to overcome these obstacles encourages the next generations to hope for prosperous opportunities. The barbed wire represents the external forces of the difficult journey that constrain the individual, but the reality is that there are paths taken by those who have come before us that can serve as a positive affirmation. Butterflies are used as a symbol of the courage and resiliency that immigrants share in the face of adversity. Ciridany is a big believer that the world should allow for opportunities to inspire one another. She says, “When you walk through a door, don’t let it close behind you, leave it open to help others walk through it.