I Did Not See the Tree, I Saw Its Memory in Clay

 

"This series begins with a premise that has long accompanied me: the spirit does not dwell in form, but in what remains once it has withdrawn."
Raquel Alvizures

 

Encountering the work of Raquel Alvizures is nourishment for the soul. We recognize ourselves immediately in her images, as though each scene awakens a shared memory. Through delicate marks, geometric forms, and figures of quiet innocence, her work draws us into a world that is both deeply personal and profoundly intimate.

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This series of paintings centers on the quina tree, not only because it is an endangered species, but because of everything that once unfolded around it. It was a place where siblings, cousins, and neighbors gathered; a space where birds moved through its branches and animals found shelter. Every path inevitably led back to it.

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It is not merely a tree—it is a place, a meeting point, a landmark, and a refuge. Reappearing today as painting, object, and sculpture, the quina tree becomes a living archive, carrying both personal and collective histories, and standing as a tribute to the life that once was and to the life that endures in memory.

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Gustavo Martínez
July 2026