Release by Gabriela Domville
ABOUT THE EXHIBITION
Gabriela’s series on Motherhood illustrates the tight bond and shared love between mother and child. Gabriela’s work depicts the journey from conception and labor to infancy and young adulthood. The fabrics Gabriela has selected for this collection are meaningful to her. For example, the embroidered tulle represents the passage of the seasons. The delicacy of her chosen materials also represents the fragility of life as well as the easily broken bond that a mother and child face every day.
“Hands can express feelings with an intention to communicate without the barrier of language,” says Gabriela. “It is a universal expression and requires no translation. Motherhood creates a tight bond between child and mother; holding hands, caressing, and hugging are some of the essential ways to express a deep and committed love. It is through this journey that a human matures and becomes a blooming self. The expression of my hands collection reflects some of the feelings and thoughts that I have pondered as I walk through my motherhood voyage.
“I have three daughters – Nicole, Giulianna and Galia, which have been my inspiration and help me to make a better version of myself. I am honored to be their mother and I have the greatest privilege to have walked alongside them in their journey into young adulthood.
“Just like seeds are thrown to earth, we throw values and morale to our offspring. During several moon cycles they will germinate and hopefully will bloom. After the passionate labor of cultivating them, watering, nurturing, pruning, and trimming we set them out into the world to fulfill their own role. With this thought in mind, I created the first piece of this series, titled “Planting.”
“The fabrics that I have selected for this collection are meaningful to me, whilst I repurposed some of them while others stand for symbols. For example, the embroidered tulle represents the stars in the sky, the notion of time passing by, marked by the moon cycles, the seasons, and by the embroidered flower tulle. Most of the fabrics are translucent, marking again the ethereal quality of time passing by, and the delicacy of these represent the fragility of life itself as well as the easily broken bond that a mother and child face every day. It is by stitching and mending that the relationships grow to become strong bonds.”
ABOUT THE ARTIST
My creative expressions started at an early age which included building, constructing, and sewing during my childhood pastimes and became a lifetime passion today. I made my own newspaper patterns at age twelve and took live model drawing classes at sixteen. I enrolled in a BFA program, and then switched to fashion design to finish my major in my native country of Mexico. A few years later, I studied ceramics in Florence, Italy. I have moved through different disciplines in my artistic life but always in a creative line. I have worked in the apparel industry for several years and did ceramics as a hobby which opened a new plan of expression.
After moving to San Diego, I continued my search for creativity, and while I was busy with three young daughters, I ended up with two certifications from UCSD. One of them was in Art and Creative Process, and the other in Photography. It was a very long journey, but I am grateful that I accomplished it. I have traveled to England, New York, and Mexico to attend numerous workshops involving mixed media techniques as well as others taken locally and online. My art is a compilation of all these experiences, often using fabric, thread, paint, and (many recycled) objects that bring a new element to a traditional approach.
A tragic accident happened in my family when I was a teenager, so my deep appreciation for nature and motherhood gives me a perspective of the fragility and frugality of life as well as the importance of conservation of resources. These ideas are a constant theme expressed in my art, either in paint, paper, fabric, or thread. I often employ elements that represent nature, time, life, and death as a very subtle Memento Mori. It is part of my practice to include discarded materials like teabags, labels, used papers, fabrics, and wood (etc.). I use consistent recycling methods by repurposing objects in my artwork to give back to the Earth.
EXHIBITION GALLERY
