Hand Dance: Clay As Witness
Paulina Pérez Balderrama, Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design
Collaborators: Deepa Buyolita, Integrative Project Professor; Nicole Marroquin, Professor, Stamps; Isaac Wingfield, Lecturer IV, LSA; Cyle Warner, Textiles and Photography; River Forrest Berry, Integrative Project GSI
Hand Dance: Clay as Witness integrates fine arts practices, history, and cultural studies to explore the layered identities of the U.S.-Mexico borderlands. Using clay sourced from Cuidad Juarez, Mexico, and El Paso, Texas, and darkroom film photography, the project delves into the material and symbolic relationships between land, memory, and personal identity. This interdisciplinary approach mirrors the multifaceted nature of borderland experiences, where social, cultural, and political influences intertwine. The materiality of clay serves as both a record of the measured movement of hands that created the vessel and the movement of people on land throughout time. While photography captures fleeting, personal moments tied to land and community. Together, these forms create a tangible narrative that invites intellectual and emotional engagement in what it means to no longer be in the land that helps define you.
Ceramic vessels, sculpted by my hands, physically embody the tension between ancestral ties to land and the boundaries imposed by colonialism and modern geopolitics. Photography supports this by offering visual narratives of landscapes, people, and interactions with the border wall, emphasizing the ongoing negotiations of identity in a fractured yet deeply connected region. The artistic mediums are not only tools for storytelling but also for healing and reclaiming cultural continuity.
Through this project, I aim to impact both the campus and local communities by fostering conversations around identity, land, and cultural heritage. The space enables an entry point to the non-linear, material knowledge of the area. By showcasing the histories and lived experiences of the borderlands, Hand Dance creates a space for reflection and dialogue, particularly for those who share a connection to this region, affirming shared histories and cultural identities.
The project will unfold in phases, beginning with material sourcing, ceramic production, and photographic experimentation in the fall and winter months. Traveling to Mexico in December will allow me to gather rust for glazes, document landscapes, and record a video of my interaction with the border wall. By February, darkroom printing and a second round of pottery will begin, with final touches, including glazing and curatorial decisions, completed in March. The installation will occur in April, transforming the work into an immersive experience. As a solo artist, all aspects, from material gathering to final installation, will be managed personally, with potential assistance from suppliers and mentors where needed.
My expertise in ceramics and photography, combined with my personal ties to the borderlands, equips me to successfully execute this project. Skills in wheel-throwing, glaze formulation, and darkroom techniques ensure technical precision, while my lived experience as a Mexican woman informs the authenticity and depth of the work. Together, these elements will bring Hand Dance: Clay as Witness to life, creating a poignant exploration of borderland identity, allowing me to explore what it means to be a Mexican woman no longer inhabiting her homeland.