Forster Art Complex Ross Gallery: April 23 - May 3, 2024

gallery view, everything in a row on one wall

Title of show on wall with artist statement

Loteria de Vida
Sarah Sandoval's Senior Exhibition

Loteria is a staple in many Mexican households. It is a game of chance, though some may say otherwise. The card you pick or are dealt plus the shuffle of the caller determine the outcome and the winner. Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don’t, and other times it seems your grandma has undefeated luck. The same could be said about life. We are all dealt our individual cards in life and must play them. We can't exactly trade these cards in, nor should we run from them, so it is up to us to navigate them. In Loteria de Vida, I embrace my life's cards through painting, drawing, and sculpting. Each piece in this collection is meant to highlight someone or something in my life that I appreciate and has helped me get here today.

Each painting in this collection begins with inspiration from a card in Loteria, which I then transform to represent my family members. After sketching these transformations out on the canvases, I mark the border with painter's tape to get a clean card-like finish. I then paint each design with acrylic paint in a simplified style to uphold the integrity of Loteria's stylized art. Finally, I name and number each card with a symbolic year and title to correspond to the represented family member using sharpie. The drawing in this collection is drawn from a reference photo and utilizes watercolor paper and a large range of graphite pencils to achieve my desired texture and value on the 2D surface. The drawing symbolizes and highlights my great grandmother's own artwork in embroidery. The ceramic pieces in this collection are all made from terracotta, handcrafted using slabs, modeling, slipping, and scoring, and under glazed then finished with a crystal coating. The coasters are built after my favorite pan dulce, conches, orejas, and marranitos. The moon piece is inspired by traditional Mexican celestial wall hangings. These hangings represent a balance in life and the unity of many forces, energies, and natures.

I am deeply inspired and moved by my culture and loved ones. Mary of the features in my exhibit are rooted in deep Mexican history and carried on through generations of families, tying them together and uniting them, mine included. I consider myself blessed, not lucky, to have drawn these cards in life and will continue to play them proudly as I enter the next chapter in my life. This is my Loteria de Vida, my lifelong lottery