Sandra de la Rosa: Paper Wings

From Tank Space:

“Paper Wings is an exhibition by Sandra de la Rosa where she  catalogs her journey in the immigration system by creating an installation consisting of a swarm of monarch butterflies made from 10 years worth of immigration documents.  The installation serves to show the challenges faced while navigating the immigration system and the unwavering resilience of undocumented immigrants in the United States. The collection  of documents includes five DACA renewal applications and an adjustment of status application. This represents the arduous and fragmented journey experienced by immigrants. Monarch butterflies symbolize both renewal and are often used in immigration movements in the United States. In Paper Wings, these butterflies evoke a sense of freedom, mirroring the artist’s own liberation after a decade of navigating the complexities of the immigration system.

Sandra de la Rosa is an artist from San Luis Potosi, Mexico. She earned her Masters of Fine Arts in 2019 at the University of Florida and her Bachelor of Fine Arts at the University of Houston in 2015. She is the current President of BOX 13 ArtSpace, an arts organization that promotes the advancement and creation of experimental art in Houston. Sandra has exhibited her work across Texas, nationally and in Mexico in shows that emphasize the visibility of artists of color, immigration, and border issues. Her work focuses on issues that undocumented immigrants and DACA recipients face. Sandra is a former DACA recipient.

Paper Wings  is supported in part by the National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures through a grant from the NALAC Fund for the Arts and the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance “