— TITLE
Frida 4587, A Gum Mosaic
— ROLE
Artist
— MATERIALS
4x4 Wood Panel
Canel's Chiclet Gum
Hot Glue
— DATE
06/2017
07/2021
Frida 4587 is a portrait of the renowned Mexican artist, Frida Kahlo, made up of 4587 pieces of Canel's gum. This gum aka "chiclets", are deeply rooted in nostalgia, or what I call "Chicanostalgia."
As a child, I remember visiting Mexico with my family and roaming the colorful mercados. I have vivid memories of the fruit stands, street performers, and kids my age selling candy. It's undeniable the influence these memories have had on my work.
A visual designer by trade, at a basic level, my job involves me pushing pixels around the screen. On this occasion, after designing the layout on screen, I traded pixels for chiclets and got to work.
“FRIDA 4587”
TIMELAPSE
Laying 4587 Chiclets by Hand
The Setup
The prep made all the difference in my grueling, weekend-long build time.
“Cheeeeeese”
Proudly smiling (and half asleep) behind my finished mosaic of Frida Kahlo.
Making the Rounds
She proudly displayed at various galleries in Oakland, San Francisco, San José, and even at Google Headquarters in Mountain View.
“Last Minute Art Show” at Cukui in Japan Town, San José, CA
Sanchez Contemporary Gallery in Oakland, CA
