Anna Zorina Gallery is pleased to present Larissa De Jesús Negrón’s solo exhibition, La Canción Verde. With her latest works, Negrón reflects upon the past eight years she has spent in New York. She relates her story to that of the Coquí tree frog as depicted in the renowned children's book La Canción Verde by Doris Troutman Plenn. They share a transformative journey of leaving their homes in Puerto Rico to discover their voices in the urban landscape of New York City. This journey inadvertently left behind cherished aspects of their cultural heritage, including their community, pristine beaches, and beloved traditions. The creation of this series, allowed Negrón the opportunity to profoundly reconnect with her cultural roots.
Inspiration for Negrón’s recent paintings was sparked by the desire to honor her family’s history through representing deeply personal portraits that authentically capture the multifaceted essence and complexity of each individual's identity. In the process, she found herself further delving into rich narratives and generational folklore. This unyielding desire to portray her family’s unique story expanded towards the broader exploration of Puerto Rico’s history. This led to the inclusion of botanical illustrations by Agustin Stahl, reinterpretations of the artistic works of Francisco Oller, and the notable victory of Marisol Malaret as the first Caribbean Miss Universe. Creating an arena of these iconic figures across various domains, each artwork serves as a testament to a distinct facet of Puerto Rico's storied history. Through these artistic expressions, Negrón aims to shed light on the intricacies of her culture, her community's resourcefulness, and the aspirations and dreams that define their identity. While the Coqui eventually returns to the serene beauty of Puerto Rico, in New York, Negrón creates an environment in which she can re-immerse herself into the comfort of her home town and find a sense of enduring completeness.
LARISSA DE JESÚS NEGRÓN (b. 1994, Puerto Rico) attended The School of Plastic Arts in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, and in 2017 she received a BFA from Hunter College in New York. Recent exhibitions include Eso Pasa, Nicodim Gallery, Los Angeles (2023, solo), Distraída, Guts Gallery, London (2023, solo); Satori, L21 Gallery, Mallorca (2022, solo); Continuous Present, Lorin Gallery, Los Angeles (2022); Have we met?, Tesoro Collection, Amsterdam (2022); Le Corps-Paysage, Bim Bam Gallery, Paris (2022); Life in an Ivory Tower, curated by Jack Siebert, New York (2022); DISEMBODIED, curated by Ben Lee Ritchie Handler, Galeria Nicodim, Bucharest (2022); Better Go South Gallery Inaugurate Exhibition, Better Go South Gallery, Stuttgart (2022); Summer Summer Group Show, Ross and Kramer, New York (2021); Detrás del Sol, More Pain Gallery, New York (2021, solo); House Parté, Carlye Packer, Palm Springs (2021); Shining in the low tide, Unclebrother, New York (2021); and 100 Drawings from Now, The Drawing Center, New York (2020).
For more information, please contact Marie Nyquist at +1212-243-2100 or via email at info@annazorinagallery.com.
AUDIO GUIDE TO THE EXHIBITION narrated by Larissa De Jesús Negrón