In preparation for her solo exhibition Echoes of Ancestors, Peruvian artist Cristina Flores Pescorán is presenting an installation in the atrium titled Xi Xi: A soursop garden grows between my heart and my skin. A new work that she defines as a self-portrait, a conceptual X-ray of her inner body. This piece is part of her effort to reconnect with her heritage, with the aim of shedding light on untold stories and confronting generational traumas following a 16-year battle with skin cancer.
The installation features three key materials: a striking visual combination of native Peruvian cotton and a cotton fabric purchased in the Netherlands and dyed with soursop leaves, all connected with copper wire. These elements have been woven, stretched, and interwoven to create a striking and colorful contrast. Indigenous cotton, also known as the Silk of South America or the White Gold of Peru, is renowned for its exceptional quality and durability. Originally from northern Peru, this eco-friendly material has traditionally been used for textiles, rituals, and folk medicine. It features a variety of colors, including brown, cream, and green, which set it apart. Soursop, a fruit native to North and South America, is known for its medicinal benefits and is often promoted as a potential cancer treatment.
Cristina Flores Pescorán
Cristina Flores Pescorán (b. 1986, Peru) is a multidisciplinary artist based in the Netherlands. Her work stems from decolonial reflections, dialogues between her body, medical experiences, ritual healing and regeneration processes, and connections with ancestors from the coast and the north of Peru. She uses photography, silversmithing, performance, video, installation, and textiles inspired by pre-Hispanic techniques. She was an artist-in-residence at the Jan van Eyck Academy in Maastricht (2022–2023) and La Nueva Fábrica, supported by the New Roots Foundation, Guatemala (2022). Her work has been exhibited in Lima, Cusco, Stroud, Berlin, New York, Chicago, Paris, Mexico City, and London. She recently participated in commissioned projects for the Sydney Biennale and the Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain. Flores Pescorán’s awards include the Textile Laboratory Award at the SIART International Art Biennial, Bolivia (2018), an honorable mention in the XXIII Passport Contest by the French Alliance of Lima (2020), and finalist selections in the National Painting Competition of the Museo Central of the Banco Central de Reserva del Perú (2021) and the Instituto Cultural Peruano Norteamericano Contemporary Art Award (2022). Her work is included in the permanent collections of the National Museum of Peru and the National Art Museum in La Paz, Bolivia.
