Hispanic Heritage Month: Gisela Colón displays her heritage in her artwork

From growing up in the Caribbean to now living in Los Angeles, Gisela Colón is leaving her mark with sculpture installations that can be found all over the world.

The unique pieces reflect her proud heritage as a Puerto Rican artist and her history dealing with gun violence.

“Everything in my practice for the last 30 years has hinged on connection to the earth,” she explained to KTLA 5’s Carlos Saucedo.

Walking through her art studio in Duarte, one can’t help but be transfixed with wonder by the giant colorful sculptures that reflect the surrounding light. The process of making a piece can take anywhere between three months to two years to complete. To vertical vessels or monoliths made from carbon fiber, which can tower 25 feet tall, her work is proudly displayed all over the world.

“In Cairo at the pyramids in Egypt, in Giza, Saudi Arabia remote desert,” she recounted.

This is quite a feat for an artist who grew up painting on the Island of Enchantment.

“It’s such an honor to be able to say I’m from Puerto Rico, there’s a little bit of the island in every piece I make.”

Over the years, she shifted to more abstract art forms pioneering what she calls “organic minimalism.” It’s that deep connection to nature and history with gun violence, which continues to influence her work.

At the bottom of one piece of work, she displayed pulverized bullet material.

“I lost my mother at the age of 12. We lived through a lot of militarized colonialism on the island,” she said.

From her vision, her transformative pieces radiate but she hopes it can unite everyone and give a vision for the future.

KTLA continues our celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month through Oct. 15. Be sure to join us for a special broadcast on Oct. 2 at 7:30 p.m. We’ll be highlighting inspiring stories of Latinos here in Southern California showcasing their contributions to music, food, art and more.

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