Mi Dulce Niño
ARTIST: Edwin Salas
Mixed media on reclaimed wooden barrel top
2024
19.5 in.
ABOUT THE ARTWORK
The artwork is a painting in the style of religious ex-votos-those small testimonials of miracles and gratitude displayed in churches and shrines. It depicts a child floating on a whiskey cap, saved from the waters by a phoenix, while his mother lies below, symbolizing a tragic loss.Although the story is fictional, the piece represents the experience of many Hispanic immigrants who live along the banks of the Swannanoa River in North Carolina. This community was severely affected by recent flooding in September. Yet, many of its members lack official documentation in the United States, leaving them ineligible for aid and unaccounted for in official records, even in cases of disappearance.
The text, written in Spanish on the whiskey cap recovered from Asheville's River Arts District, reads: "Oh dulce fénix. Gracias por salvar a mi hijo de ahogarse en el río Swannanoa. Que sobrevivió encima de esta tapa de whiskey. Ahora soy parte del río. Te amaré por siempre. Tu devota madre." ("Oh sweet phoenix. Thank you for saving my son from drowning in the Swannanoa River. Now that he survived on top of this whiskey cap, I am part of the river. I will love you forever. Your devoted mother.")
In this piece, the phoenix embodies hope and resilience for those who, often invisible and voiceless, face natural disasters and extreme hardships in a country where they are frequently undocumented and unrecognized. The artwork thus serves as a poignant tribute to immigrants whose lives and losses are often overlooked in the wake of tragedy.
ARTIST: Edwin Salas
Mixed media on reclaimed wooden barrel top
2024
19.5 in.
ABOUT THE ARTWORK
The artwork is a painting in the style of religious ex-votos-those small testimonials of miracles and gratitude displayed in churches and shrines. It depicts a child floating on a whiskey cap, saved from the waters by a phoenix, while his mother lies below, symbolizing a tragic loss.Although the story is fictional, the piece represents the experience of many Hispanic immigrants who live along the banks of the Swannanoa River in North Carolina. This community was severely affected by recent flooding in September. Yet, many of its members lack official documentation in the United States, leaving them ineligible for aid and unaccounted for in official records, even in cases of disappearance.
The text, written in Spanish on the whiskey cap recovered from Asheville's River Arts District, reads: "Oh dulce fénix. Gracias por salvar a mi hijo de ahogarse en el río Swannanoa. Que sobrevivió encima de esta tapa de whiskey. Ahora soy parte del río. Te amaré por siempre. Tu devota madre." ("Oh sweet phoenix. Thank you for saving my son from drowning in the Swannanoa River. Now that he survived on top of this whiskey cap, I am part of the river. I will love you forever. Your devoted mother.")
In this piece, the phoenix embodies hope and resilience for those who, often invisible and voiceless, face natural disasters and extreme hardships in a country where they are frequently undocumented and unrecognized. The artwork thus serves as a poignant tribute to immigrants whose lives and losses are often overlooked in the wake of tragedy.
ARTIST: Edwin Salas
Mixed media on reclaimed wooden barrel top
2024
19.5 in.
ABOUT THE ARTWORK
The artwork is a painting in the style of religious ex-votos-those small testimonials of miracles and gratitude displayed in churches and shrines. It depicts a child floating on a whiskey cap, saved from the waters by a phoenix, while his mother lies below, symbolizing a tragic loss.Although the story is fictional, the piece represents the experience of many Hispanic immigrants who live along the banks of the Swannanoa River in North Carolina. This community was severely affected by recent flooding in September. Yet, many of its members lack official documentation in the United States, leaving them ineligible for aid and unaccounted for in official records, even in cases of disappearance.
The text, written in Spanish on the whiskey cap recovered from Asheville's River Arts District, reads: "Oh dulce fénix. Gracias por salvar a mi hijo de ahogarse en el río Swannanoa. Que sobrevivió encima de esta tapa de whiskey. Ahora soy parte del río. Te amaré por siempre. Tu devota madre." ("Oh sweet phoenix. Thank you for saving my son from drowning in the Swannanoa River. Now that he survived on top of this whiskey cap, I am part of the river. I will love you forever. Your devoted mother.")
In this piece, the phoenix embodies hope and resilience for those who, often invisible and voiceless, face natural disasters and extreme hardships in a country where they are frequently undocumented and unrecognized. The artwork thus serves as a poignant tribute to immigrants whose lives and losses are often overlooked in the wake of tragedy.