EXILE ARCHETYPES

The Exile Archetypes Series is a compelling assemblage of nine life-size cast aluminum sculptures that critically engage with themes of cultural annihilation manifested through assimilation and hybridization. Each sculptural figure operates as an archetype embodying specific dimensions of exile, displacement, and identity fragmentation. The use of cast aluminum—a material associated with industrial production and permanence—creates a poignant juxtaposition against the vulnerability and fluidity of cultural identity under threat. The series methodically interrogates the processes by which dominant cultures subsume and erase minority identities, highlighting the psychological and existential toll exacted on individuals and communities. Significantly, the final piece in the series functions as a site of redemptive possibility, proposing that cultural survival and renewal depend on a deliberate and often painful journey of self-repair and reclamation. This work situates exile not only as a condition of loss but also as a potential catalyst for resilience and transformation within postcolonial and diasporic discourses.