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Artist: Marina Hajek
My work is about duality…my two lives, in Guatemala and in the United States. However, my work is much more a metaphor of the dual lives of women – caught between cultures and expectations. I explore the human figure and the abstract manifestations of our beings and forms. Often things are most profoundly understood through “unrealistic representations.”
My work speaks to the human condition. The unstable political atmosphere in Guatemala in the 1970’s and 1980’s made a strong impression in my life. After moving to the USA in 1987, I started creating pieces that expressed my political opinions, which would not be possible in Guatemala. Through the process of acculturation, I felt less isolated as I began comparing, analyzing and understanding the “why” of many things.
As I worked on a piece based on my life in Guatemala, I realized that I was not only representing what was happening in Guatemala but also elsewhere. Rich and developed countries are not immune to corruption, violence, greed and genocide.