FAB Culture: Art Polaroids Identity Through Surrealism By Cuban Artist, Maria Magdalena Campos Pons

Maria Magdalena Campos Pons (August 22, 1959) is a Cuban-born artist based in Boston. Her many works have focused on history, race, gender, memory, and the formation of identity. She works primarily in photography, performance, audio-visual media, and sculpture.

Maria Magdalena’s background is intriguing because Maria is of Yoruba (Nigerian), Chinese and Spanish descent. Much of her work explores her identity, her heritage and her family’s history within the context of the history of Afro-Cubans.

She has won well over ten awards for her work. Her prolific career spans 20 years with her work having been shown everywhere from London to Brooklyn to Dakar.

Here is a small selections of polaroids from the artist. Notice how the images are grounded and organic, yet surreal.

(De Las Dos Aguas, 2007.)

(From Conversation, 1997-2002.)

(Nesting, 2007.)

(Nesting, 2007.)

(Red Composition , 1993.)

(Songs of Freedom, 2013.)

(When I Am Not Here-Estoy Allá, 1994.)

Campos-Pons currently lives and works in Massachusetts and teaches at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

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