Lush Mixed-Media Collages by Clotilde Jiménez Piece Together an Artist’s Lineage — Colossal

Through vivid collages layering fragments of paper and fiber, Clotilde Jiménez echoes his own mélange of experiences and histories. The Mexico City-based artist was born in Honolulu to a Puerto Rican mother and African-American father, and he grew up in Philadelphia, before attending university in Cleveland and London. Both his heritage and ties to different cities around the globe nest together in his work, which draws references from the cultural and political contexts of each locale.

Using magazine clippings, Mexican craft paper, fabrics, and other pliable materials, Jiménez fashions dense portraits of his family alongside archetypal depictions of Blackness and masculinity. Fragments of burlap and thin woven strips add texture to “China de Mayagüez,” a vibrant autobiographical piece portraying a young Jiménez and his family member Juan. Rendered as a jíbaro, Juan evokes the subsistence farming traditions of Puerto Rico. Together, the pair pick oranges, while monarchs flutter among the fruits.

The woven hat also appears in “The Nightcall,” worn by a woman enveloped in the blue light of darkness. Black birds with shiny plumage and blooming cacti flank the figure as a bouquet hangs from her hand. Fresh blooms also appear in the Flower Portal series, circular works that draw on Dutch still life paintings. Fish, faces, and beams of light augment lush bouquets, referencing both the fleeting nature of life and humble joys.

For this body of work, Jiménez dives into silences and what’s left unsaid in a family, particularly the secrets children aren’t privy to. In a recent conversation, he describes these pieces as visualizing a “revelation,” one that gave insight into a history of abuse. He explains:

My grandmother, when I was an adult, randomly was like I need to tell you something, and she told me that my grandfather was not my real grandfather. It is actually his brother, the one who kind of looked out for you and raised you. Everything made sense. I’m not making excuses for abuse, but I’m seeing it a little bit more objectively now, why certain things were said, why certain things were done, why certain things were ignored. So the show is really about silence and how that forms us from a young age.

The collages shown here are included in the exhibition Éramos silencios, which translates to “we were silent,” on view through October 31 at Marianne Ibrahim’s Chicago gallery. Explore more of the artist’s work on Instagram.