Sophisticated portraits embellished in neon hue, detailed renditions of photographs and deliberate religious undertones adorned the walls – welcome to Nora Ayala’s exhibit.
Ayala grew up in a conservative Seventh-Day Adventist home. The doctrine of Christianity made her continuously question her identity and certain events in her life because of its conservative and stringent concepts.
Certain pieces are named after specific Bible verses and represent an important aspect of her life, whether a major occurrence or significant desire.
The exhibit is laid out in a subsequent manner and is inspired by the Stations of the Cross.
“The Catholic Church and other denominations have a sequence of Christ-like panels, mostly paintings, following Christ to his death and his resurrection,” Ayala said. “And so this is sequential, these are the stations of events in my life that have impacted me in some way.”
The exhibit begins with colorful prints featuring larkspur flowers; however, if one gazes into the print for long enough, one will notice a parasitic creature quietly lingering in the midst of beauty.
The print is named after a verse in the book of Leviticus which claims the pig is unclean and affirms it should not be eaten. The actual art represents a harrowing event where Ayala’s aunt ate undercooked pork containing a parasite that caused her aunt to become completely paralyzed.
“Seeing that has been traumatic,” Ayala said. “And I have questioned this idea of transgression. As a little kid, knowing what happened, I was like, ‘Oh my God, I can’t eat pork or I’m going to be paralyzed.’ I guess it affected all aspects of my life. I thought, ‘Oh, you can’t do this’ or ‘You can’t sin, if not God is going to punish you.’ It caused this fear. I grew up in fear.”
The flowers represent the larkspurs her aunt would continuously draw for family members. The print attempts to depict the good in such a tragic situation, according to the artist.
The piece following Leviticus is titled “Rise Again” and is a portrait of the artist’s Dachshund dog, Frank. The photo of her pet is surrounded by a frame made to look like a spine.
“He’s a Dachshund and they have back problems sometimes. He’s been paralyzed three times. He’s had surgeries and it hurts. I love him and care about him. He’s the only thing I have that can kind of resemble a child,” Ayala said. “I pray for him every day and bad things still happen. So I’m questioning what it means to be faithful if bad things can still happen to you. ”
“Rise Again” is allegorically connected to the following set of prints in the exhibit illustrating the formation of a human child — one print depicting a baby forming in a human womb.
The unborn child, however, does not necessarily refer to an event – rather a desire of Ayala and her partner.
“I would like to be a mother. I mean, maybe not right now at this very second but, either way, the two of us can’t have children because we’re both women,” she said. “And so we would need help which is okay; I’ve accepted that. But there is still a part of me that makes me question my identity because of my upbringing in Christianity and what is natural and what goes against nature.”
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The final two pieces in the exhibit are self-portraits of the artist, yet both create distinct moods. The first, titled “19:30”, is Ayala’s death scene, representing the hardships she has faced and how life can be filled with difficult situations.
The portrait that follows “19:30” is a cheerful and lightly-colored representation of Ayala in the third grade wearing a ribbon which was awarded to her for an academic accomplishment. The picture was chosen for the art piece because it represents a triumphant moment in the artist’s life.
The image represents the opposite of “19:30”– pride and success.
“The main thing is to persevere – this idea of resurrection, overcoming something,” Ayala said. “Overcoming not literal death, but something that hurts you or any discrimination that you face. I think it’s good to deal with the pain and filter it – but then go beyond that. I feel that makes us stronger and better people.”
Ayala’s artwork is currently being showcased in the Dutzi gallery of the student art galleries on upper campus until April 7.