Heaven On Earth at The Bows artist-run centre in Mohkínstsis (Calgary, Alberta)
January 19 - March 23, 2024
A toy, a trinket, a tiny little object
Can you remember the last thing that you cherished? That you held so close it hurt?
Made you feel like a happy child?
There is comfort and lifelong happiness in these things
In all the cute.
I want to be made of soft fabric and lace, tied with a bow
I want nothing more than to be treasured, never lost, or forgotten.
When I return to the earth, I leave everything behind
I cannot let them go
Instead, I place them on an altar and hang them on the wall. Gift them to you
Leaving with only a memory, Heaven On Earth.
Please take care of my beloved belongings
At peace, asleep, let them be still
For Vasquez-Lazo’s debut solo exhibition, Heaven on Earth, the artist asks “Can you remember the last thing that you cherished? That you held so close it hurt? Made you feel like a happy child?”
Heaven on Earth explores ideas of what is left behind in our sacred possessions. Vasquez-Lazo instructs us to care for her objects beyond her physical presence, as they are gifts for us to preserve her memories as well as explore our own. Intentionally playing with temporality, Vasquez-Lazo complicates our understanding of past, present and future, and instead permits all three to exist simultaneously. Within a gentle installation, the work whispers comfortingly about the potential resonance and purpose which Vasquez-Lazo projected on each piece, but is not loud enough to dictate direct interpretation for the viewer. Through careful curation of objects and materials, Vasquez-Lazo desires to imprint softness and escapism upon its audience, giving permission to explore landscapes where radical vulnerability is not only present but palpable.