1991

24″ x 34″

In version II of Building Identity Away form Home, I replaced the phrase “miembro de la comunidad Latina” with something even more personal — my first name. After migrating back to the U.S. from Ecuador, I found myself searching for familiarity, for a sense of belonging that never quite arrived. So I made space for myself through the act of naming. By stamping my name, I wasn’t just identifying myself — I was marking presence. Rooting myself. It became a quiet but firm declaration: I exist here. I matter here. When community felt distant, my own name became both anchor and home.