March Vlog – Artist Lodge Trailer
March 13, 2018Wouldn’t it be Nice if We Felt the Same by Lauren Balderama
April 5, 2018Exhibition runs May 1—July 14, 2018
Opening May 17, 2018 from 6-8pm.
This exhibition is part of the 2018 Medalta International Artists in Residence program.
Carlos Rojas has spent the past few years living in new cultures. In the exhibition, Adaptation, he explores this experience through the eyes of a doll. Carlos’ mother once broke a German doll. It was rare, expensive, and available to only wealthy families because it was made of porcelain. When Carlos was young he visited the markets in Mexico to buy inexpensive versions of this same doll. These were available because local artisans had begun using German moulds and wet paper to create a doll easily accessible to all children. This illustrates how through migration individuals and cultures adapt to new environment to create hybrids, the central theme of Carlos’ work.
The doll is symbol of childhood, it’s a time when you form the foundation of your identity, and it represents home, family, tradition, and history. Using found moulds as his canvas Carlos employs symbolism from Mexico, Germany, Canada, and France to tell his personal story of migration as well as stories of immigration in history.
Artist statement
Adaptation is a collection of work exploring the migrating identity seen through the eyes of the European porcelain doll. The trip through space and time from the Germanic origin to the frozen Charlotte figurines and colourful Provencal Santibellis, enriched with the Baroque Colonial interpretation mixed with Mexican cultural myths, finalizing with the Canadian hybridity to become a piece of art.
—Carlos Rojas
Artist Biography
Carlos is a Mexican-born artist who lives and works in Montreal, Quebec, Calgary and Medicine Hat, Alberta. His research is about how identity is impacted by migration; specifically, it is about how his own identity was transformed as a result of installing his practice in Canada. He uses ceramics, painting, stop-motion animation, glass, and metals to communicate his ideas. His work is inspired by pop, contemporary, and Mexican culture; folklore; myths; politics; and religion. He holds a BFA in Painting and Drawing from Concordia University and a law degree from the Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara. He earned an MFA in craft media ceramics (2017) at the Alberta College of Art + Design in Calgary. His recent shows include Gallerie D’Este, Art Mur, and Maison de Culture Parc-Extension in Montreal, ACAD in Calgary, and Art Vallarta in Mexico. He published a portfolio in Les Escrits (2016) and was interviewed by Catalyst Magazine and Shaw TV.
