“Cada Cabesa Es Un Mundo,” a phrase often used by one of Diego’s Uncles in Dominican Republic, is offered as a framing for the sculptures in this exhibition. Concerned with the lineage and evolution of Spanish Caribbean mask-making and culture, Diego Espaillat seeks to insert himself into the often-changing art form by working through the forms in his personal fashion.

The mask-making histories are relatively new, still evolving, and grow out of a mix of traditions, including Spanish Catholic holidays and Yoruba spirituality. In creating these pieces, Diego uses the laborious traditional paper mache process, reframed through his own creative style. These masks are not made to be worn, they are instead sculptural objects. By committing himself to the specific lineage of this metamorphic art form as a diasporic member of Dominican culture, Diego adds his lived experience to this unfolding tradition and explores his own identity through process.