Collection: Necesito Más Flores, Selected by Maria Radilla (online exhibition)

About the exhibition

(The following statement is transcribed in the original Spanish, with an English translation directly below.)

Yo tuve una tierra, pero ahora tengo flores en el techo. Habían muchas flores en la tierra donde yo crecí, allá, en México. Afuera, habían flores rojas cerca de mí, y mi papá había sembrado cempasúchil, la cual, regaba agua tres veces al día. Necesitas regar las flores un poco, y luego ellas se abren en cinco minutos, y después se hacen rojas y amarillas. Me gustaban los pétalos. Las flores son pétalos. 

Las piezas de arte que escogí son muy bonitas; algunas las hice yo, pero otras no. Escogí imágenes de flores y pájaros y muñecas. La pintura (P0002) soy yo en vestido amarillo. Yo la hice; es como si yo fuera una muñeca.

Cuando era una niña, tenía una pequeña muñeca. La muñeca vestía con un vestido amarillo y su piel era color café como mi piel. Yo jugaba con la muñeca como si fuera mi hija, y jugábamos a que comíamos juntas: tacos, pollo y arroz, y un poquito de pastel. Ya no recuero como se llamaba… ¡bueno, digamos que se llamaba Adriana, porque así se llama La Mujer Maravilla!

Me encanta el trabajo hecho por mujeres, y quiero ver más de eso. Esta, hecha por Suzy (F0712) con las flores esta bonita porque es cuadrada y tiene muchos colores. Yo recuerdo que trabajamos muy de cerca en NIAD. Me gusta como Shana hace esos dibujos, y tengo uno de sus dibujos muy parecido a este (F0204) colgado en la cabecera de mi cuarto. Conozco a Shana y a su hermana Raven muy bien y a ellas les gusta darme regalos. ¡Esta pieza (J0101) con la flor amarilla- Me gustaría obtenerla como un regalo de cumpleaños! Yo recuerdo a la artista, Mireya. Una vez me regalo un refresco de naranja y pienso que a ella le encantaría que me quedara con esta también. Yo me lo pondría: yo lo pondría en un vestido y me pondría un moño en mi cabello. Se ve como una pequeña flor amarilla y es como la flor que estoy dibujando aquí en mi libreta de dibujo.

He hecho muñecas con vestidos amarillos y flores rojas en ellas. Necesito más flores. Necesito flores para la nariz y otra para la barbilla y las dos mejillas. También quiero cuatro flores rojas y una amarilla. Las pienso coser en mi próxima cobija con una muñeca, sobre el vestido y como ojos de cada pájaro en la tela.    

En mi cuarto tengo un oso con un pequeño sombrero, marcadores nuevos, y flores en mi techo. ¡Ves! Yo tuve una tierra, y ahora tengo flores en mi techo

Si, Necesito más flores.

***

I used to have land, and now I have flowers on my ceiling. There were many flowers on the land where I lived in Mexico when I was growing up there. Outside, there were red flowers in the fields close to me, and my dad had potted cempasúchil marigolds that he would water three times a day. You have to water flowers a little bit, and then they open up in five minutes, and then they’re red and yellow. I liked the petals. The flowers are petals. 

The artwork I picked here is very beautiful; some of it I made and some I didn’t. I picked pictures of flowers and birds and dolls. That painting (P0002) is of me in a yellow dress. I made that, it's like me if I were a little doll.

When I was a child, I had one small doll. She wore a yellow dress and the skin was brown like mine. I played with the doll like it was my kid, and we’d play like we were eating food: tacos, chicken and rice, a little bit of cake. I don’t remember what she was named… well, let’s say she was named Adriana, because that’s Wonder Woman’s name!

I like work made by women, and I want to see more of that. This one by Suzy (F0712) with the flowers is beautiful because it’s square and there are so many colors. I remember we worked near each other at NIAD. I like how Shana makes those drawings, and I have one she made just like this one (F0204) above my bed in my room. I know Shana and her sister Raven well, and they like to give me gifts. This piece (J0101) with the yellow flower — I’d like that as a present for my birthday! I remember that artist, Mireya. One time she gave me an orange soda so I think she’d like me to have this too. I’d wear it: I’d put it on a dress and put a bow in my hair. It looks like a tiny yellow flower, and it’s just like the flower I’m drawing right here in my sketchbook. 

I’ve made dolls in yellow dresses with red flowers on them. I need more flowers. I need a flower for the nose and another for the chin and both cheeks. I also want four red flowers and a yellow one. I’ll sew them on my next doll quilt, on the dress and over the eyes of each bird on the cloth. 

In my room I have a bear with a little hat, new markers, and flowers on my ceiling. See, I used to have land, and now I have flowers on my ceiling. 

Yes, I need more flowers. 

About the selector

Maria Radilla is a textile artist and painter creating work at NIAD Art Center. For this exhibition, Maria selected works that evoke memories of her childhood garden, and those that relate in theme and technique to her ongoing series of embroidered quilts. 

Maria has long been exploring storytelling and portraiture through textiles, often returning to doll, bird, and flower motifs. In fact, Maria spoke with us about this show while meticulously stitching flowers onto a new wall hanging textile. Throughout the conversation she displayed handmade fabric flowers from her inventory, each time describing in detail the color, shape, and proposed placement. Maria has planned for the doll sewn on this particular quilt to have a dress covered in flowers, and would like everyone reading this to know: it will be done very soon! “Necesito más flores”—or “I need more flowers”—is simultaneously a request pertaining to her art-making process, and also a reminder to cherish each of our own budding gardens. 

Maria finds inspiration in fashion, accessories, big parties with her family, and her favorite foods. She suggests we view the show while eating ice cream and dancing to the following songs: La Nave del Olvido and Tu .

The entire exhibition

Available works