DNA Map: For a Shifting Identity
Michelle Murillo's recent work is about memory--both known and unknown. Though her family history and genealogy told her that she was Colombian and Irish, a recent DNA test revealed a more complex story--one of European (75%), African (17%) and Central Asian (8%) heritage. Her family lost the Central Asian thread of their history over time, but her DNA imprint told another story. From the unexpected results, Murillo began a series of explorations into identity, heredity and memory that is both personal and universal. With imagery and text taken from family documents and letters she has created a series of 100 glass powder screen prints on colored glass that reflect the results of her DNA test--the coral-colored pieces are left blank for the unknown Central Asian part of her ancestry. Murillo's method of printing with glass embeds a mysterious quality in the medium that seems perfectly suited for the complex subject of identity.
-- Mara Holt Skov
