Patricia Encarnación

Patricia Encarnación (she/they) is an Afro-Dominican interdisciplinary artitvist and scholar. Her work explores Caribbean culture by challenging tropical aesthetics with an anti-colonial lens.

Encarnación participated in multiple residencies such as Smack Mellon as a Van Lier fellow, MuseumsQuartier Vienna, Kovent Catalonia, and Silver Arts Project residency at the World Trade Center. Her work has been selected twice in The Centro Leon Jiménez Biennial, obtaining the prize bestowed by the city of Cádiz (Spain) for cultural immersion and a fellowship in Martinique as part of a Tropiques Atrium Caribbean art program. Encarnación has exhibited in places such as Documenta 15th, Afro Syncretic at NYU, I am New Afro Latinx at MOLAA, CA, and Tribeca Artist Program Award. Besides being an actively exhibiting artist, Encarnación has also delved into curatorial practices in spaces such as ChaShama and alternative gallery spaces in NYC and Miami, and the Dominican Republic.

works

  • Paradise is Burning

    The digital collage series "I am From Where You Vacation" delves into the Caribbean's portrayal as a 'Paradise' and the exoticization associated with it. This project explores surreal scenes within tropical landscapes, offering a visual narrative that unveils the untold stories lying beneath the polarized realities experienced by Caribbean Locals, especially feminized bodies of color and tourists. By using personal archives of tropical getaway advertisements, these collages reinterpret what these paradisiacal images might look like through the lens of the locals, placing our realities at the forefront.

    "I am From Where You Vacation" challenges the notion of 'Paradise' and scrutinizes the colonialist structures perpetuated by the tourism industry, all while creating an anti-colonialist visual discourse that reflects the authentic experiences of the locals.

    "Paradise is Burning" is an exciting addition to the series. In these works, the images used in the collages are a blend of personal digital tropical archives and AI-generated imagery, featuring phrases like "End of paradise," "Paradise is on Fire," and "Tropical Apocalypse." These new pieces further explore the complexities of the Caribbean experience, its representation, and how the AI is conditioned to imagine paradise.

  • Paradise is Burning 3 (2023)

    Archival Inkjet Print

    30 x 40 in

  • Paradise is Burning 4 (2023)

    Archival Inkjet Print

    11 x 14 in

  • Paradise is Burning 2 (2023)

    Archival Inkjet Print

    11 x 14 in

  • Cuela tu Cafe Claro (2021)

    Digital Photography. Archival ink on Hahnemühle

    24 x 36 in.

  • Greca 2 (2020)

    Speckled Ceramic

    8 x 5.5 x 5 in.