@ Riverside Art Museum

On exhibition: Thursday, October 5, 2023 – Sunday, February 25, 2024

The exhibition (Heliotropism Heliotropo) is based on the act of young sunflowers following the sun at a circadian rhythm until they are old enough to stop following it. It is a metaphor for breaking harmful habits that were taught to us by our caregivers. A hopeful message of growth and change by not repeating harmful cycles that were passed down to us. This installation is an immersive/interactive space that represents a visual diary of her thoughts and emotions towards the challenges of growing out of the cycle of addiction and abuse.

Gabriela Diaz (also known as Gibby) is a visual/mixed media artist that works with interactive, installation, painting, sculpture, and performance work based in the Inland Empire. She takes inspiration from childhood joys and implements them into her artwork. Through her work, she adds different elements to alter the audience’s experience using: vision, taste, touch and scent. By doing so, the artist intends to make her art as inclusive as it can be due to her family’s health history.

Pictured: Heliotropism Heliotropo, 2023.