Liz Hernández
Un bordado es un documento #1: Doce años en el Área de la Bahía
(An Embroidery is a Document #1: Twelve Years in the Bay Area), 2022
Embroidered textile
Liz Hernández’s diverse art practice, which spans painting, drawing, sculpture, and writing, is deeply influenced by her life in Mexico City: buildings covered with handmade signs, chaotic trips to markets, visits to temples and churches, and her grandmother’s house.
Her subjects are frequently autobiographical and often examine moments in which the redundancy of everyday life is ruptured or broken. The artist frequently uses materials and mediums associated with craft: aluminum, ceramic, and clay on canvas, in novel ways. Historically regarded as women’s work, embroidery is rarely considered fine art. However, the technique often documents essential histories within a community.
The artist says of this work, “In this embroidered piece, I register my last decade living in the Bay Area. Stitching thread on fabric leads to deep introspection, which allowed me to think about my experience as an artist living here. The Bay is a place full of possibilities, but that, unfortunately, sometimes comes at a high cost. It has offered me many opportunities to create, exhibit work, and engage with artists. On the other hand, there is always a feeling of precarity, loss, and, more recently, a ruptured community.”
Photos courtesy of Henrik Kam.
ARTIST BIO
Liz Hernández (b. 1993) is a Mexican artist based in Oakland, California. Her art practice – which includes painting, drawing, sculpture, and writing – is deeply influenced by her memories and surroundings of Mexico City: buildings covered with handmade signs, chaotic trips to markets, visits to temples and churches, and her grandmother’s house where she grew up.
The subjects that she addresses are in a constant state of flux, but an element that is always present in her practice is the search for something that breaks the normalcy of everyday life. Hernández addresses this desire in multiple ways, from finding greater meaning in domestic objects and scenes to using supernatural elements and symbolism to address themes of modern life.
Her work, partially autobiographical, has led to collaboration with her family in the shape of very personal research. This inquiry results in constant learning about her environment, family, and herself.
