Lucy's Sofrito
Create your own sofrito through the art of printmaking
My table is inspired by my mom’s sofrito. Sofrito is a fragrant blend of vegetables, herbs, and spices used to season dishes such as stews, beans, and meat. It is used in cooking throughout the Caribbean, especially Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Sofrito mixtures can be green, orange, or red and have speckles of other colors throughout.
I grew up watching, smelling, and listening to my Dominican mother making sofrito. Her sofrito has up to twelve ingredients including garlic, peppers, scallions, and more. The peppery, pungent smell would engulf the apartment and the freezer would be full of containers with the olive green mixture.
Through the art of printmaking, you are invited to create your own sofrito. Use paper and crayons to create rubbings of the ingredients on the table. When each ingredient is transferred, it creates a finished art piece. Everyone’s sofrito is unique, your art pieces will be too.
About Me
Joely Saravia (b. 1991, New York City)
Joely Saravia was born and raised in Washington Heights, NYC. She is a printmaker turned graphic designer, although printmaking still finds its way into her work. She loves to incorporate traditional art techniques into her digital designs, mix mediums, and play with juxtaposition.
Her inspiration for her art comes from her culture and her upbringing. Being a Dominican-American in a predominantly Latinx neighborhood really helped her understand and appreciate her roots. From her hair texture to the music, the language, and the food, being immersed in the culture inspired her in a huge way and continues to this day.
She holds a BFA in Communication Design from Parsons the New School for Design.
I envisioned a table with 3D rubbing plates on it that people could interact with and make prints of their own. Similar to cooking in a kitchen, you gather all the ingredients, make something, and in the end, no two recipes are alike. That's what creating art is all about, everyone's unique creative process on one page. I wanted people to walk away with a piece of art of their own after interacting with my table and I hope the experience is fun for everyone, but I hope it makes the adults feel like kids again.
