Jonathan Christensen Caballero lets the work speak for itself.
Crafted from life-cast molds, the artist’s sculptures incorporate labor implements, ceremonial dress, and gold luster to depict the labor, lives, joys, and struggles of Latin American workers in the United States. He is currently artist in residence at the Interdisciplinary Ceramic Research Center at the University of Kansas. His sculpture Seeds of Tomorrow/Semillas del Mañana appears in the upcoming Figuring Space exhibition at The Clay Studio in Philadelphia, which Jon Spayde wrote about in “Standing in the Room Together” in the Winter 2023 issue of American Craft.
How do you describe your work or practice in 50 words or less?
My multimedia figurative sculptures depict Latin American laborers, their families, and their descendants who are trying to make a better life for themselves. The sculptures focus on both the endurance needed for such labors and the love and hope for future generations.
Jonathan Christensen Caballero, I am the worker/Yo Soy La Trabajadora, 2020, earthenware, secondhand fiber, metal, wood, 49 x 29 x 14 in.
