Estefania Ajcip Explores Family Separation In 'Folded Memories'

(MENAFN- USA Art News) Los Angeles-based artist Estefania Ajcip addresses the emotional toll of family separation in her new exhibition,“Folded Memories,” on view at Charlie James Gallery in Los Angeles through August 22. Her sculptural paintings draw on her own childhood experience of growing up in Guatemala while her father worked in Los Angeles.

The exhibition features works crafted from birch plywood, papier mâché, small LED lights, and acrylic, creating surreal compositions that blend childhood grief and dreams. Ajcip often incorporates scenes and objects from family photographs, transforming them into fantastical realms. For instance,“Momo 2012” (2026), an acrylic on panel piece measuring 24 x 12 x 2 inches, depicts two adults clasping hands, while a wooden opening reveals a solitary girl and her paper train set.

Themes of separation and fissures appear throughout the collection, symbolizing the distance between Ajcip and her father. New details are revealed or concealed depending on the viewer's vantage point. In“Telephone game” (2026), a 36 x 24 x 8 inch work made from birch plywood, foam board, thread, matte gel, and acrylic on panel, the artist is shown with a paper phone, while her father stands at a public payphone that protrudes from the two-dimensional canvas.

A similar shift in perspective is evident in“Four paths/Two paths?”, which features a sculptural bus traveling between Los Angeles and Guatemala. Guatemala's national bird, the quetzal, is depicted fluttering at the vehicle's front window, symbolizing hope and togetherness. A statement notes that this particular piece directly confronts“the familial unity that Ajcip so longed for throughout her childhood. Across the exhibition, Ajcip makes clear again and again how the longing that defined her youth now fuels her art, a powerful reminder that strength often grows in adversity.”

Additional works in the exhibition include“Do I pray for what is lost?” (2026), 18 x 22.5 x 4.5 inches;“To the last use” (2026), 36 x 27 x 7.5 inches;“Back to One” (2026), 30 x 43 x 10 inches;“keys to success” (2026), 24 x 36 x 7 inches; and“On a corner (finger)” (2026), 12 x 9 x 1.5 inches. All pieces dated 2026 are composed of birch plywood sheet, foam board, light, matte gel, or paper mache, and acrylic on panel or birch plywood.

Source: This Is Colossal

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