Erick Medel Hustling de Sol a Sol

December 2021

Erick Medel’s embroidered works touch on everyday life in Los Angeles, particularly speaking on the Mexican American experience. Medel’s sewing machine serves as a drawing tool in which each mark Is made separately. The work vacillates in form between sculpture, painting, and craft. His approach is intuitive and spontaneous, with his hands guiding the fabric while the machine perforates and threads the images. The process is laborious and painstakingly detailed, serving as a constant reminder of the immigrant labor surrounding him. The colors of weathered hand-painted murals draping over local stores influence his color palette and his work is a constant exploration of what it means to exist and navigate identity in two worlds. Medel received his Masters In Fine Arts from Rhode Island School of Design in 2018.