Oasis
Past experiences can be perceived as negative aspects of our lives. However, we can learn through these bad experiences and as a result, grow as people. In this piece, Brito shares a reflection of 3 personal experiences: immigration to the United States, a dysfunctional relationship, and health issues due to surgical complications. Throughout each memory, we can see details corresponding to these events such as powerful imagery, symbols, and references to past work Brito made during these times. After exploring each scene individually, we are shown all of them as part of the artist’s body. This symbolizes the connection of these experiences to the artist and how they molded him into who he is today.
Originally made in 2022
Citizenship
The first Oasis represents the artist’s struggle as an immigrant in the United States. In this piece we encounter The Statue of Liberty, as a symbol of freedom and justice in The United States. The struggle of arriving at a new country while assimilating into a new culture is symbolized as a strong, flowing current that the artist is trying to swim against. Vividly shown, the artist is in the middle of the wave, struggling to move forward and progress.
The head of the statue references The United States Citizenship and Immigration building. By the mouth of the statue, you can see that it is merging with the location where the artist ultimately received his citizenship.
The artist’s clothes reference the attire that he wore when he was on his way to the U.S.: black boots, black pants and guayabera shirt. Not only does his attire represents the last version of himself as a Cuban, but it also creates a contrast between his last day as a Cuban and his first day as an American citizen.
Past Relationship
The girl piece reflects on personal insecurities from past relationships. We see the figure wearing clothes from high schools in Cuba. This person is inspired by the partner’s main characteristics which is the blonde hair and blue eyes. The artist references this moment because it represents insecurities towards a relationship in their past, but instead of representing them as a traumatic event, the artist interprets it as an Oasis, an abandoned piece that was retaken by nature.
The piece is inspired by a past series called “Cuellos Largos”, which was created as a getaway from a bad relationship experience. As an homage to this series, the artist created the female figure with long extremities and neck, handwritten text on the shirt, and body fragmentation.
Surgical Complications
The eye environment reminisces about the artist’s surgical complications on the left eye during his childhood. The limited options for efficient medicine and surgeries in Cuba are being represented by the portrayal of the eye as a distant, lonely planet. The metaphor is emphasized even further with two royal palm trees, also known as Cuba’s national tree.
Given that it’s the last and oldest event in the artist’s life, the environment is significantly more possessed by nature and brighter compared to the first piece, as a way to represent older tragic moments as positive lesson-learners
The color palette and textures were inspired by the folder cover from the International Retinitis Pigmentosa “Camilo Cienfuegos” Center, which was repurposed to hold the artist’s medical history and prescriptions.
This folder has followed the artist throughout most of his childhood. It depicts images that the artist was subjected to during his surgical consultation.
