ARTIST STATEMENT
My early work is concerned with the objectification of beauty and the growing anonymity of the elderly in our society. I believe a clear connection exists between the media-fueled manipulation, edification and standardization of physical beauty and the increasing denial of the actual process of physical aging. To be old today is to slowly become invisible. My work is, in many ways, a critique of this postmodern iconography as it attempts to highlight not only the natural process of aging but society’s concomitant refusal to recognize it as such. My pieces attempt to draw attention to the ways in which this self-absorption is encouraged by an unfettered individualism which, unchallenged, serves only to fracture family ties, friendships, and the larger social consciousness, creating an awkward integration when the individual no longer conforms to the established standards. I examine this growing need to connect by focusing on individual narratives. Whereas society has slowly created “fictions” and “virtual realities” to replace the real, I instead direct the spectator’s attention to the everyday real happenings of ordinary lives.
There’s an undeniably playful aspect to all of my work. The soft sculptural creatures I make are created as if they were belligerent, ill-behaved children, demanding attention. The use of fabric and the obsessiveness of embroidery defines my work and honors that centuries-old legacy of women weavers and artisans. The embroidery machine facilitates a delicate and yet frenetic pace. Every time I sew, I connect the tension of my foot on the pedal to the movement of my hands as I guide the fabric’s surface into what I want to draw.
Over the past few years, my work has become more political because of the hyper-politicization of our environment today.
As an artist, I think it is extremely important that we become the commentators of our time, the narrators of front news, and be vigilant in our time, whether it is climate change or fake news. I would like to continue investigating the politics of this era, leaving a footprint and a threaded connection to the current political climate around the world. I have become very engaged in the narratives of political satire and how I can illustrate this through the thread, making a reference to a woman’s old tradition. I think it is important and relevant, given that fiber art is playing a new role in art history, to use thread not as an embellishment but as a statement, a political consequence of women no longer sitting in circles embroidering flowers.
BIO
Aurora Molina (b. 1984, Havana, Cuba) is a Miami-based contemporary fiber artist whose multidisciplinary practice spans embroidery, felting, weaving, sculpture, drawing, photography, video, and socially engaged art. Since immigrating to the United States at age sixteen, her work has explored migration, collective memory, political narratives, ecology, identity, and the transformative potential of textiles as a contemporary
artistic language. Molina investigates thread as both material and
metaphor—a means of drawing, repairing, connecting, and preserving memory. Her work challenges the historical division between craft and fine art while positioning fiber as a powerful vehicle for social and
cultural dialogue.
Alongside her studio practice, Molina has become a leading advocate for contemporary fiber art in South Florida. She is the founder of Play Studio art·el·ier and Red Thread Art Studio and co-founder of the Fiber
Artists–Miami Association (FAMA), where she has helped establish new platforms for artists through exhibitions, education, international collaborations, and the inaugural Miami Fiber Art Triennial. Her practice
moves fluidly between studio production, research, education, and community engagement, positioning fiber as both an artistic medium and a catalyst for social connection.
Her work has been exhibited throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, and Latin America and is included in public and private collections, including the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art and the Lowe Art Museum.
REPRESENTATION
Bernice Steinbaum Gallery
Miami, Florida
LEADERSHIP
Founder, Play Studio art·el·ier, 2017–Present
Founder, Red Thread Art Studio, 2023–Present
Co-founder, Fiber Artists–Miami Association (FAMA), 2020–Present
Artistic Director, Miami Fiber Art Triennial, 2026–Present
SELECTED MAJOR PROJECTS
SO (Sew), America Cares
Retratablos
River of Grass
Beyond Fibers
The Cabinet of the Absurd
Imaginary Tapestries
Children of Immigration
Miami Fiber Art Triennial
AWARDS & HONORS
Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs,
Artist Access Grant, 2017, 2020, 2026
The Ellies Creator Award, 2018, 2020, 2021
Cintas Foundation Fellowship Finalist, 2018, 2020
WaveMaker Grant, Locust Projects, 2018
PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
Girls’ Club Collection
Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art
Lowe Art Museum
Steinbaum Family Collection
Private collections throughout the United States, Europe,
Latin America, and Asia
SELECTED ART FAIRS
Pinta Miami
VOLTA Basel
Art Miami
Spring/Break Art Show
Palm Beach Modern + Contemporary
Art New York
SCOPE New York
Art Wynwood
