Meet Patricia Moclús, a visual artist and educator whose work is deeply influenced by exploring personal and cultural symbolisms and their role in constructing images. Born in Los Angeles, raised in Spain and Colombia, and residing in Miami since 2015, Monclús draws on her cultural heritage and the transient experiences of growing up in varied cultural landscapes. 

Monclús’ work responds to distorted memories, keepsakes, and icons of collective imagination in deliberately connecting to the personal and universal experiences that come with a multicultural upbringing. In doing so, her practice works towards creating art that resonates on multiple levels.

Can you tell us about your artistic practice?

I am a visual artist and educator with a multicultural background. My work is deeply informed by the transient experiences of growing up in various cultural landscapes.

It takes shape in response to distorted memories, keepsakes, and icons of collective imagination to deliberately connect to a drifting multicultural upbringing.

My artistic practice explores nostalgia primarily through drawing and mixed-media painting. Still, recent iterations of my work embrace the dynamic interplay of learning, unlearning, and tinkering with diverse fields to explore site-specific installations.

Tell us about a personal project or body of work that you are currently excited about.

I'm planning an installation titled PICO RADIAL, which broadcasts figurative language associated with the domestication of the chicken. 

“Pico” is a Spanish word with multiple meanings: a beak, peak and small portion. It represents the part of the project concerned with all the chicken paraphernalia. “Radial” refers to a rays-like formation with a common center but also to the radio and the transmission and reception of electromagnetic waves.

The chicken and radio have intriguing parallels: they both represent forms of global conquest and connectivity. 

PICO RADIAL is a multimedia venture into the world of chickens, figurative language, and the power of mass communication.

Tell us about how you have developed as an artist since you began working at Bakehouse.

I arrived at Bakehouse in August 2018, two months after completing a Bachelor of Fine Arts from New World School of the Arts. Throughout my time here, Bakehouse has facilitated various opportunities to support my practice's financial and professional needs, sponsoring studio space and offering workshops and collaborations with networks of partners.

In the fall of 2023, Bakehouse hosted a workshop with Daniel Temkin about esoteric programming languages. This event shook my practice, and I have since been working on developing digital content and thinking about ways in which it can exist.

Shortly after, Bakehouse commissioned a mural in which I explored ChatGpt as a tool to play with words, which recently led to the sponsorship for the creation of a new body of work.

Having access to a cohort of diverse artists at different stages of their careers and continued support has been essential to nurturing my practice, organically and meaningfully.