Melissa Calderón masterfully stitches together the essence of her Bronx upbringing and Puerto Rican heritage through intricate embroidery. Utilizing beige linen as her canvas, she transforms familiar scenes into textured landscapes, capturing the evolving nature of neighborhoods and the displacement of long-standing residents. Her work reflects the profound changes affecting both the Bronx and Puerto Rico, illustrating a place caught between historical identity and ongoing transformation.
Her technique emphasizes texture to convey deeper meanings, with layered stitching and unraveling threads symbolizing resilience, adaptation, and loss. The intricate embroidery, rich in detail, transforms everyday objects and spaces into emotionally charged representations of shifting communities. Through her approach, Calderón highlights the impact of gentrification, migration, and economic struggle, weaving together narratives that resonate beyond personal history.
The artist’s creative process is deeply personal and meditative, rooted in a tradition passed down through generations. Each piece begins with a drawing, transferred to a pattern, and then embroidered by hand. This meticulous approach recalls childhood moments spent sewing with her grandmother, transforming embroidery into a space for reflection and preservation. Through her work, Calderón honors the memories of places and people, ensuring their presence remains stitched into history.
More info: Website, Instagram.
in Bahia. 