“¿Es Chapina?”
Rachel Crane
See it On Campus: Level 2
Opus Art Supplies Graduation Award BFA — Honourable Mention
Rachel Crane
2025
“¿Es Chapina?” is a sculptural exploration of cultural identity, disconnection, and the complex process of self-acceptance. Utilizing materials commonly found in Guatemalan construction, the work reflects a deeply personal narrative of feeling culturally inadequate and the internal tension of not being “enough.”
The sculpture contains a modern concrete block—now a prevalent, economical building material in Guatemala—with a traditional adobe (mud) brick. Embedded within the adobe are discarded objects and materials sourced from Guatemala, including trash from the well-known brand Superb.
Additionally there are materials such as a banana leaf, barbed wire, tape, electrical wiring, a copper pipe, and an aluminum sheet. Medical elements—like a structural dressing over the banana leaf’s “wounds,” medical tape sealing punctures in the aluminum sheet, and Band-Aids covering damaged areas of the concrete block—introduce themes of healing and bodily trauma, metaphorically treating the wounds of cultural displacement.
The overall composition embraces imbalance through skewed lines and asymmetrical forms, mirroring both the instability of Guatemalan socio-economical and the artist’s own sense of internal dissonance. Though site-specific in its references, ¿Es Chapina? extends its reach to broader audiences, offering a resonant space for anyone who has experienced cultural dysphoria or questioned their place within their heritage.
Portfolio selections
“I”
2024
(wood, fibreglass insulation, PVC pipe, metal pipe, drywall, electrical wire, zip tie)
“Meat”
2024
(acrylic paint, paper, glue, Power tek,)
“Meat No2”
2024
(acrylic paint, paper, glue, Power tek,)
“:5-SE-M22#”
2024
(wood, fibre glass insulation, pinkbar, metal wire, electrical wire, tape, bandaid, drywall, concrete, spackle, wood filler, zip ties)
