Abuela’s House
Destyni Swoope
September 14–28, 2024
Supermarket Gallery at
GRAND OPENING
This project came to Supermarket through a peer and colleague whom I cherish and admire—Zee Lopez Del Carmen. Zee’s trajectory indicates that working with a solid set of ethics and morals is, of course, gratifying, but more importantly, possible. Coupled with a dream of an artist, Desi Swoope, this exhibition permitted me to rediscover the roots of my own creativity and tenacity.
Having an artist involved in the entirety of the exhibition-making process, from aesthetics to language, is vital to the feeling of success one gets to soak in. Abuela’s House is an example of how the mechanism of community truly functions—we all grind, we all benefit, and we get to lift each other up.
Months after the exhibition closed, Zee and I had a conversation about the idiom no guts, no glory; if this exhibition has taught me anything, it’s that it’s all about guts. I learned this from my own abuela, who wrote relentlessly without seeking anything outside of her own heart and imagination. It was a privilege to fuse the parts of me I’ve inherited with those I’ve crafted, much like Desi.
Please bear with me while I finish populating my website. It’s hard to wear all the gorgeous hats on my bountiful head.
In the meantime, check out the article written about Abuela’s House by the inimitable Tyler Francischine for the Miami New Times.
It’s good to work with pals, and even better when people you work with become pals.
Abuela’s House transcends the traditional notion of an exhibition; it is a love letter to identity, cultural inheritance, craftsmanship, and home. Each of the fifteen scenes realized by Destyni “Desi” Swoope’s own hands are a true mix of paint, found objects, and an eclectic collection of fabric. This exhibition is an intimate exploration of the enduring creative and personal influence of the artist’s maternal great-grandmother, and a celebration of the magic of time, wisdom, and love channeled by a single person.
A force in Caribbean culture, abuela isn’t simply the person to guide us or make us feel at home in moments when we don't even know what home looks like. She’s the personification of our history, the rich soil from which we sprout and bloom into our fullest, truest selves. For families that have experienced immigration, abuela is the bridge to everything that affects our past, present, and future. Abuela’s House encourages us to understand that the colors of our lives come directly from the seeds our ancestors sowed for us, and we now have the opportunity to bloom freely, wildly, and on our own terms.
Desi has loved on each piece from conception to the final stitch, working to complete this body of work in less than a year. Layers of found fabrics and secondhand clothes are expertly hand-sewn into the artist’s uniquely electric and playful color palette. Yellows, blues, purples, and pinks, breathe life into scenes of a game of dominó (Heirloom, 2023), colorful neighborhoods made of stacked buildings (Boriken, 2023), cafecito cups from Abuela’s Kitchen (2023), and even Papi and Abuela’s Anniversary (2024). The colors and textures found in her work are the manifestations of her grandmother's grace and prayers.
Ultimately, Desi patchworks the spirit of the Puerto Rican/Caribbean women who have carried on for generations, whose traditions and beliefs inspired her to dream for them and for herself. “Our stories and lives should not succumb to extinction amidst the rapid evolution of the world,” Swoope says. “Through Abuela's House, I assert the great significance in cultural preservation, despite the complexities of identity and societal expectations." This exhibition prompts us to reclaim the power of our memories. The artwork made for this debut paints the tapestry of her Abuela’s legacy as the vibrant, living foundation of her family.
Curation by Zee Lopez Del Carmen, Maria Gabriela Di Giammarco, and Mario Andres Rodriguez