A solitary figure floats on a mattress in a vast body of water. She is asleep or perhaps resting—white sheets adrift in the great expanse of southern Mexico. In other images, the same figure is submerged, draped in fabric, suspended beneath the surface. These images are not digital compositions; they are the direct documentation of durational performances in deserted seas, rivers, and lakes. Each photograph captures an unaltered moment in time.
This series was born from years of sleeplessness. I would lie in bed, but sleep would not come. Even in the most intimate spaces, I felt unsettled, as if something might happen outside. Each night, as I closed my eyes, the weight of the day would resurface. I dreaded the arrival of night.
This body of work is about experiencing the dream—so intensely that, for seconds or minutes, the body is pushed to extreme, unfamiliar conditions that are the opposite of sleep and rest. The stillness of floating contrasts with the weighted tranquility of submersion, where controlling breath and movement becomes essential. In creating these images, I expose myself to the elements—the wind, the water, the sand, the unseen creatures beneath me. I do not look; I only feel. Cold, heat, pain, fear, warmth, and pleasure merge through my skin. The deeper I enter this process, the more my body and mind shift into a meditative state. Here, there are no images in my head—only a profound dialogue with my body and a quiet peace within my soul.
I traveled from New York to the Yucatán Peninsula in search of rest, seeking a connection to my ancestors. Drawing from the legacies of magical realism, I use aerial drone imaging to observe myself from above and underwater photography to capture the stillness below the surface. From above, I am a distant figure adrift; beneath, I am covered in water and fabric, weightless yet grounded in sensation. Unclothed and afloat, I surrender to the environment, dissolving into the landscape. In this state, I am neither from Mexico nor the United States—I am simply at home within myself. I am present.
