“Mar y Sol” is a piece I created for my show in Tokyo. ——————— This piece is a tribute to my mother, Marisol, the woman who inspired me to become an artist. Broken down, her name translates to: “Mar” - sea “Y” - and “Sol” - sun This piece is the deep, cool sea embraced by the warmth of the sun. To me, this piece transcends far past the literal translation. For the longest time, I couldn’t quite articulate what it meant. My mother was the greatest advocate for my creativity. When I was little, she never seemed to mind when I made a mess and got paint on the kitchen table. She always encouraged me to dream big and create freely. Her passing was the most painful thing I’ve endured. If there is any positive, it’s that it shaped me into who I am today. It pushed me to take the leap into becoming an artist. It caused me to confront death and, somehow, make amends with the concept. This painting is not just a representation of her soul and all the beauty it possessed, but it’s also a...