Jessica Elena Aquino

A native from Santa Ana, CA Jessica Elena Aquino’s practice is rooted in weaving. Through the use of fibers, textiles and cultural iconography, she creates large scale sculptures and installations that attempt to give architecture and form to la memoria by fabricating the physical residue of ancestral history, family oratory, and language. The physicality and labor demanded by her work is an homage to her communities who have literally woven la cultura across generations with their hands. Through the language of fibers and textiles, she reclaims her lineage as a weaver and questions archaic notions on Latinidad in order to redefine cultural and personal narratives.

Aquino received her BA in Studio Arts and Psychology from Colgate University in 2014, and her MFA from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in 2019. Her work has been exhibited in several exhibitions in Poughkeepsie, NY; Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts; and Pilot Projects, Philadelphia, PA. Aquino was a finalist for PAFA’s 11th Annual Juried Fourth Wall Competition in 2019. She is the recipient of the Murray Dessner Travel Award where she will be traveling to Oaxaca, Mexico in August 2019.

Residency/Fellowship

2020 Labor

Website

aquinoje.com

Location

Philadelphia, PA USA