Jacob Olmedo
Endangered Identity
Endangered Identity is a work that intertwines textiles, objects, wearables and hydroponics, and work that becomes sculptures to convery social and enviornmental commentary stemming from my won circumstances and identity: a queer artist, the son of a Mexican- immigrant father, and a climate activsit. Nature is a symbol of privilege in shortage created by the era of climate crisis and the ultimate form of life and commonality that connects all people. Labor intensive methods are executed by hand such as crocheting and knitting are hybridized with electronic tufting and mold making to create scenic installations of disembodied figures and topographical landscapes that relay ideas of privilege in the context of access to land and the environment and minority bodies. Maof all cream colored wool and silk fibers, the work focuses on its hybridity of technique and its textures, emphasizing the story being told between objects. Seeds- the ultimate representation - form of life, are portrayed fossilized in isomalt beads weighing down a sculpted body and in sprouted form with the reach of a hand.
Jacob Olmedo is a multidisciplinary artist and designer working in Brooklyn NY. His work has been mentioned in publications such as Dezeen, vogue Italia, Forbes and WWD. In individual practice Olmedo has been asked to participate in group shows at Pratt Manhattan Galleries and Columbia University. In 2018 Olmedo was honored to be the first Liz Clairbone Graduate Scholar from The Council of Fashion Designers of America during his time in the inaugural MFA Textiles program at Parsons School of Design. His work focuses on wearable and spatial activism, creating work about his own intersectional identity in the context of the climate crisis, asking questions of his identities validity and his access and privilege to land as a minority body.