Carolina Durán Parias

This piece by Colombian artist Carolina Durán Parias forms part of the series “Abordando el Dorado” (“Facing the Gold”). The suggested wordplay of the title weaves the act of embroidery and the sparkle of the sequins with the iconography of some national cultural references. Framed as a disc, as if insignias or medals, the pieces making up this series are hand-embroidered by the artist onto traditional surfaces from art history, such as canvases or commonly used textiles like sateen. 

Durán Parias reclaims a traditional technique more traditionally associated with domestic work and traditional ideals on femininity, and reinvigorates sewing as a technique relevant in contemporary art. The artist appropriates pop art strategies – inspired by advertising – and depicts objects in a simple and striking way, combining schematic forms with the sparkle of sequins to embolden their impact on the viewer. 

República bananera (Banana Republic) shows a half-peeled golden banana on a light pink background. Other works in the series that allude to iconic elements of Colombia’s sociocultural history include a dove, a Renault automobile, a cup of coffee, and the spectacled bear.