Through repetition and pattern, tiles become metaphors for permanence and loss, reflecting cycles of demolition, renovation, and redevelopment that reshape communities. The consequences are both cultural and practical: the weakening of historical and social continuity, alongside the emergence of buildings that compromise sustainability and habitability within the Caribbean environment.

The implications of these are profound. Culturally, the erosion of architectural heritage undermines the historical and social fabric of Puerto Rican communities.

 Ongoing project that consists of a collection of ceramic tiles created from images I manipulate into patterns of former residential homes that have been converted into Airbnbs or "luxury" apartments, stripping them of their original character.

Also including images of abandoned high-rise hotels and apartments, as well as half-abandoned high-rise condos that never achieved their tenant goals.  These are meant to mimic the traditional Puerto Rican style tiles

These ceramic tiles function as both ornament and archive, carrying traces of cultural identity. As neighborhoods change, architectural surfaces are removed, covered, or replaced, marking sites of displacement. Traditional features, sometimes protected under cultural heritage regulations, are being replaced with designs modeled on the aesthetics of the mainland United States. Beyond visual disparity, these imported architectural styles frequently disregard the realities of the Caribbean climate, resulting in constructions that are unsuitable for local weather and living patterns.

A central concern of the project is the erosion of Puerto Rico’s architectural identity, in which replacement operates both materially and symbolically as an erasure of cultural memory. Many of the homes represented have been acquired by outside investors and converted (sometimes demolished) into short-term rentals or “luxury” apartments, stripped of their original character and reshaping neighborhoods through displacement.

You're living all over me