Daniel Lind-Ramos in “Everyday Icons”

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In his hometown of Loíza, Puerto Rico, artist Daniel Lind-Ramos looks on as drums beat the rhythms of bomba music, intricately costumed figures parade up and down the street, and community members dance and celebrate together. Inspired by his town’s diverse and inventive culture, the artist’s work reflects the history and energy of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. Many of his materials come from the island itself; Lind-Ramos combs the beaches and streets of Loíza for palm fronds and other plant life, items that wash up on the shore, and discarded, everyday materials that speak to the story of the Caribbean. These objects take on new and multiple meanings within the artist’s work, folded into narratives about immigration, natural disaster, and colonization that often transform them. His sculptures often reference real-life experiences he interprets and reinvents, alluding to historical events, cultural practices, and religious iconography. “My intention with this approach, among other things,” says the artist, “is to remember.”

After Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in 2017, Lind-Ramos was moved to make work about his experience of the hurricane and its aftermath, culminating in the exhibition “Las Tres Marías.” Using blue tarps distributed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), tan burlap sacks, spiraling metal horns and pipes, and various drums, amongst other objects, the artist describes the sights and sounds of the hurricane in his three sculptures. Lind-Ramos has combined these objects to not only represent Hurricane Maria but also to reference the iconic imagery of the Virgin Mary, emphasizing the contradiction between the terror and tranquility he experienced. 

Born and raised in Loíza, Lind-Ramos and his practice are deeply connected to the town and its communities. Working with former students, neighbors, friends, and family, the artist organizes performances and community gatherings. At one such event, Lind-Ramos hands out cardboard masks embodying ancestral figures to individuals as they march down the road. Neighbors come together to share poetry and music, to express themselves in speeches and dance. Much of the artist’s work is about communication and community, speaking to the specific story of Loíza and Puerto Rico while connecting it to a broader one about the human condition. “My intention was to find a language, find a process, find materials,” says Lind-Ramos, “that established the link between our collective experience and somehow bring something different but authentic.”