Roberto Lugo
Maribel and Child, from the Della Robske Series, 2023
Glazed stoneware, acrylic, enamel, birch, pine, and lacquer
RL014
© Roberto Lugo
This work references Andrea della Robbia’s Madonna and Child with Cherubim, c. 1485, at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC. See the third image or the link (https://www.nga.gov/artworks/129-madonna-and-child-cherubim). It...
This work references Andrea della Robbia’s Madonna and Child with Cherubim, c. 1485, at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC. See the third image or the link (https://www.nga.gov/artworks/129-madonna-and-child-cherubim).
It presents a personal depiction of Lugo's mother, Maribel, with the artist as a child; however, it could be any mother and child of color. By inserting his own mother into this tradition, Lugo elevates the everyday woman of color who sacrifices daily for her family to a status closer to that of the sacred mother.
Lugo also asks the viewer to reconsider the accepted image of the Madonna and Child as white, as seen through the western lens. What if she was not? What if she looked like his mother?
The child is purposefully depicted with a ski mask to highlight the stereotypes placed on children of color like himself, as potential future criminals (something Lugo personally experienced). The child also wears a gold chain bracelet, a common jewelry item worn by/given to children in Lugo's culture. It is also an example of ‘stunting,' which is often depicted in his work.
It presents a personal depiction of Lugo's mother, Maribel, with the artist as a child; however, it could be any mother and child of color. By inserting his own mother into this tradition, Lugo elevates the everyday woman of color who sacrifices daily for her family to a status closer to that of the sacred mother.
Lugo also asks the viewer to reconsider the accepted image of the Madonna and Child as white, as seen through the western lens. What if she was not? What if she looked like his mother?
The child is purposefully depicted with a ski mask to highlight the stereotypes placed on children of color like himself, as potential future criminals (something Lugo personally experienced). The child also wears a gold chain bracelet, a common jewelry item worn by/given to children in Lugo's culture. It is also an example of ‘stunting,' which is often depicted in his work.
