When I was living in Oakland, CA, I would very often feel homesick to the point where I got physically ill, and I found relief in either drawing Italian landscapes or making sculptures like this one, in which I tried to incorporate the best memories and feelings I have of home. My mind would constantly travel to Liguria, a region I am extremely attached to, even more than I am to my own hometown. In this sculpture I tried to depict the feeling of warmth and comfort I was so desperately trying to find in California, a place that shaped me and helped me grow as an artist, but unfortunately never really felt like home. Hidden in this sculpture of Liguria are some of my best memories of this place, and I wanted to give the viewers the feeling of being able to lose themselves into this aggregate of houses and colors, just like they would walking in the streets of Riomaggiore or Sestri Levante.
