Susana Uvidia

Uvidia (Ecuador) is a sculptor living and working in London, where she obtained her BA and MA in Fine Arts from Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London. Confronting ingrained stereotypes about South Americans and ‘the other’ made her art embrace her mestizo heritage. Her art becomes a place where the indigenous and the European merge with equal importance, creating a dialogue between the two parts of her being. In her works, the vibrant traditions of her native Ecuador are intertwined with the sophistication of Europe, challenging the imposed cultural hierarchy. Uvidia has received various awards, including a commission from the law firm, Clifford Chance for their London head office; XIX Prize of Ceramics of the Council of Agriculture, Fishing and Feeding of Madrid; and XI Salón de Abril of the Riobamba Cultural Centre. She has exhibited in the UK, across Europe and Ecuador. 
 Threads of Resurrection is a manifestation of Uvidia’s mestizo identity and the constant dialogue between her cultural roots and the experiences that she has lived as a migrant in Madrid and London. Through these sculptures, she seeks to explore the intersection between the traditional and the contemporary, combining elements of her cultural heritage with the urban and cosmopolitan influences that she has absorbed during her migratory journey. In the interpretation of ancestral shapes and symbols, she conveys the continuity of culture and the importance of recognising our roots in an increasingly interconnected world. The thread and the rods are the means with which she chooses to materialise her ideas, with these elements symbolising connection and resistance. The thread represents the connection with her past, with the roots that sustain and nourish her, while the rods represent the strength and adaptability she has acquired throughout my journey and infer the European industrialised influence within her culture. Each thread intertwined with the metal structure is a visual metaphor of the complexity of the mestizo identity.