NATURE/NURTURE
A ritual where art can happen
The Nature/Nurture project creates a ritual that makes visible the actions of nurturing a society by creating a physical representation of the hands-on, labor-intensive work of women.
Objective: 260 Caracolas Made by the Women of San Antonio
The project aims to create 260 ceramic caracolas (or shells) created with the participation of remarkable women around San Antonio. Though small, these objects represent women’s contributions in a wider way to help their families, communities, and city to thrive.
The Ritual
Women will be invited to take a moment to contemplate their nourishing contribution towards their community. Feeling present within these emotions, they will take a handful of clay and then firmly close their hand, a gesture that embraces their creative power and strength as they look after themselves and others.
In this way, the clay is shaped into a caracola: a shell shape. The clay represents our connection to the earth and is a physical representation of the act of carrying and giving.
In ancient times, shells were used as a means of payment, a medium of exchange, and regarded as a symbol of wealth and power. A woman’s contribution to society has value in the same way.
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About the Artist
Karla Kopalli is a multidisciplinary artist and activist whose work bridges nature, sustainability, and spiritual expression through collective and regenerative art-making practices. Karla has a Master of Arts in Public Art, RMIT University of Melbourne, Australia, 2006; a Master of Science in Biomimicry, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 2020; a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Design, Universidad Iberoamericana, CDMX, Mexico, 2003, and studied sculpture at the Academia de San Carlos, Mexico.
She has completed public art projects in Australia for the Melbourne City Council, in México for the National Center of the Arts, the National Commission for the Development of Indigenous Towns, and the National Security Commission. In the United States, she has created work for the Smithsonian Latino Museum, the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., and the Witte Museum in San Antonio. TX.
Made possible with support from The City of San Antonio Department of Arts & Culture Individual Artist Grant
Support also provided by
San Antonio River Foundation