Floral Quilted Portraits by Maria A. Guzmán Capron Cultivate Care and Love

For thousands of years, flowers have been a rich source of symbolism. Dating back to the Ottomans, floriology, or the language of flowers, blossomed in the Victorian era when a bouquet functioned as a nonverbal code. The delicate sweetpea, for example, might have been given as a thank you to a particularly generous host, while buttercups would tell the recipient that the sender thought them childish and immature.

Maria A. Guzmán Capron (previously) references the timeless expressions of flowers for Solo Pienso en Volver a Verte, which opens this week at Lyles & King. Translating to “I only think about seeing you again,” the solo exhibition comprises the artist’s signature textile portraits of opulently patterned fabrics in a layered patchwork. Soft and plump with batting, the quilted characters are each unique, although Capron sometimes uses the same secondhand material on several pieces.

a textile portrait of two women in vivid, patterned fabrics
“Déjame Llevarte”

Encircled in hand-dyed fabrics, the figures in this body of work are often doubled or conjoined, as in the embracing women of “Otra Vez” or the two-faced subject of “Echa de Pedacitos.” Love, warmth, and protection feature prominently, as hands grasp for one another or emerge as a three-dimensional gesture. Capron envisions these layered, hybrid forms as a way to visualize the various identities, experiences, and memories within all of us.

The artist also stitches and screenprints a wide array of flowers on faces, garments, and throughout the lush surroundings. Sometimes abstract and often indeterminate, the blooms share stories and messages of desire that might be unspeakable or better communicated through a symbol of affection. Tending to love in all of its forms is the thread that runs through each work, as Capron welcomes us into a world in which compassion and care are the most beautiful gifts.

Solo Pienso en Volver a Verte runs through June 21 in New York. Find more from Capron on Instagram.

a textile portrait of two women in vivid, patterned fabrics
“Otra Vez”
a textile portrait of a woman in vivid, patterned fabrics
“Echa de Pedacitos”
a textile portrait of a woman in vivid, patterned fabrics
“Para Que Me Mires”
a textile portrait of a woman in vivid, patterned fabrics
“Te Dejé Quererme”
detail of a textile portrait of a woman in vivid, patterned fabrics
Detail of “Y Comencé”
a textile portrait of abstract figures framed by blue leaves
“También Allí”
a textile portrait of a woman in vivid, patterned fabrics
“Algo Escondido”
detail of a textile hand on vivid, patterned fabric
Detail of “Otra Vez”
a textile portrait of a woman in vivid, patterned fabrics
“Y Comencé”
detail of a textile hand on vivid, patterned fabric
Detail of “Te Dejé Quererme”

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article Floral Quilted Portraits by Maria A. Guzmán Capron Cultivate Care and Love appeared first on Colossal.

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