Kukuli Velarde
Yo me gobierno sola, 1995, ceramic, mixed media, 39" x 20" x 14", Courtesy John Elder Gallery, New York, NY
Yo me gobierno sola is a centaur with spikes surrounding her golden heart.
The spikes protect the heart but also cage it. She is holding her own bridle bragging independence.
As simple a statement it might be, Yo me gobierno sola is a metaphor of the animal-human duality that I believe exists in me due to my astrological sign. As a Sagittarius I don't have the sophistication to be subtle, discreet and measured. I like the idea of keeping instincts and emotions alive, under supervision but not control of the mind. The piece in question was meant to express the hybridization of reason and viscera, two equally strong components always in war with each other, always keeping each other in place.
Yo me gobierno sola was the final piece of the series Homage to My Heart that were all meant to be portraits of myself narrating experiences of love
