Rana Republic

At what point do bananas cross from culture into commodity? For millions of Latin Americans the very cornerstones of our cultures, our food, gold, and beaches, became  the fuel of our colonization. In trade we have gained a new symbiotic aspect to our culture, that of the oppressor. There lies a tension in this reality that I capture with my choices in material. I work with hard, rigid ceramics that have a lasting nature to them and textiles which are inherently soft and approachable. My ceramic frogs highlight strength in solidarity, while my slipcast bananas show a harder untamed aspect of the land. Through my textiles I confer value and beauty, both through banana leaves emblazoned with patterns informed by native Panamanian styles and a banana covered in golden beads. I’m spotlighting these places and their beauty and allowing them to take up space and to be seen and heard in a way that cannot be ignored. 

(Florida State University MFAThesis Show, Decentered Reframed 2026)