There will be great earthquakes, famines, and plagues in various places, and there will be fearful events and awful signs from heaven.

(Luke 21:11)

Mindy Solomon is pleased to present the work of Sydnie and Haylie Jimenez. Haylie and Sydnie create narrative ceramic sculptures and drawings that mirror their young Black and Brown community. For their first exhibition in Miami, they have decided to investigate the irony of goodness- how notions of righteousness can be weaponized and used against people who are marginalized within society. Through the use of two and three dimensional works, both artists create imagery that speaks to empowerment as well as expressions of vulnerability.

In creating the exhibition title I was thinking about who decides right and wrong, who our laws are made for, and who benefits from professionalism and the effects of white supremacy and colonialism. I created large figures, some wielding swords and some with horns and claws to act as a physical manifestation of my need to protect myself and my loved ones in a society that does not benefit us and can be detrimental to our mental health, economic stability, and physical well-being.

(Sydnie Jimenez)

Haylie has created large scale portrait drawings for the show. Utilizing the medium of crayon on paper, each work is a richly textured linear narrative, feeling both childlike and deeply personal. Her practice consists of drawings, printmaking, and animation. She is interested in drawing as a form of documentation and in the various ways drawing styles are informed by lived experiences which become rich material for broader exploration.

My current body of work focuses heavily on expressive figures in various landscapes and locations that are often transitional or public spaces. The people in my drawings have distinct fashion Including piercings and various hairstyles. The imagery is rooted in this realism, but I’m interested in creating these scenes with the intent to make them feel almost ethereal or unrooted in reality to the viewer through various color choices, lighting, and atmospheric rendering. Doing this allows me to draw from memories but not directly represent these memories to allow for re-interpretation as a way of finding joy and meaning in the seemingly mundane or everyday. The three drawings in “How Awful Goodness Is” are distinguished by the individual solitude of each figure. Based on the biblical feminine figured of Lilith, Eve, and the Virgin Mary, they all embody various aspects of the tragedy, sorrow, and autonomy of each of women. Paired with Sydnie’s ceramic sculptural depictions of these same women, a theme emerges of self protection, rage, and injustice.

(Haylie Jimenez)

Both artists create works that have a sweetness and childlike innocence. Figures are highly stylized, cartoon like and showcase exaggerated features. This community of characters becomes an army of outsiders- fighting against the forces of assimilation to homogenize what makes each and every one of us unique. Their work is a celebration of otherness and how good “awfulness” is.