Artist explores meaning of quinceaneras



Artist explores meaning of quinceaneras

Ultima Muñeca, or the last doll, is gifted to the young girl and is often dressed identical to the Quinceañera. This hanging wall piece signifies the girl's lost childhood.
"Ultima Muñeca," or the last doll, is gifted to the young girl and is often dressed identical to the Quinceañera. This hanging wall piece signifies the girl's lost childhood.

Unraveling Tradition

When:through July 14

Admission:Free admission

Where:Grand Central Arts Center, Project Room, 125 N. Broadway, Santa Ana

Information:714-567-7233 or

The quinceanera, a traditional Latin American celebration of a girl's 15th birthday, is more than elaborate dresses, fiestas and shiny tiaras.

Through her project, "Unraveling Tradition," Grand Central Arts Center resident artist Saskia Jorda uncovered and reflected on what the coming-of-age tradition means for young girls and the impact it has on their families and communities.

"I became interested in exploring the quinceañera tradition based on my own experience," said Jorda, who celebrated a quinceañera before leaving Venezuela and moving to the U.S. as a teenager.

Cal State Fullerton art student Angelica Perez-Aguirre and CSUF professor of art history Joanna Roche helped her build the art piece.

During her two-month residency, Jorda engaged with residents and businesses in the heart of Santa Ana, a community where the quinceañera is a common celebration that expresses family values and character.

She asked questions such as:

What role does body image, especially the body in a state of transition, play in the young girl's mind? How do we hold on to tradition and retain cultural identity while assimilating in a new culture? How does tradition change and evolve over time in a new cultural setting and how is that expressed through second and third generations? and What socio-economic impact does this celebration have on a family or community?

A significant visual component of "Unraveling Tradition" is the nearly 1,000-foot-long fabric ruffle, which is similar to the fashion element adorned on quinceañera dresses found in the storefronts of the many bridal and quinceañera shops along Santa Ana's Fourth Street.

Jorda collected the strip of fabric with the help of community members.

"I volunteered to help her with the ruffle sewing at Grand Central, and spent an afternoon sewing lines of bright red stitches onto the fabric that she would later gather into ruffles," said Roche, who previously invited Jorda to speak to her class about her artwork and career.

In the exhibit, the long ruffle strand drapes around a spinning sculptural wood frame that resembles a hoop skirt. The ruffle will unravel slowly throughout the course of the two and a half month exhibition to expose the skirt frame.

"As the skirt frame becomes uncovered, the ruffles build up into an excessive pile of ruffles, allowing the visitor to experience a revolving installation," said Jorda.

"I feel that 'Unraveling Tradition' is a complex and beautiful work of art," said Roche. "For me, it shows the artist's quiet brilliance through the subtle motion of the slowly unwinding, very minimalist ruffles and asks viewers to consider how the Quinceañera, as embodied by the dress, represents an important transition from girlhood to womanhood."

Smaller works featured in the exhibit related to the Quinceañera include the "Ultima Muñeca," "Tacones" and "Tradición."


"Tacones" symbolizes the girl's passage into adulthood and is based on the Quinceañera ritual where the girl's flat or small-heeled shoes are replaced with a pair of high heels, said Jorda. Two shoes, one low-heeled and one-high heeled, are bound with thread symbolic of the Latin American tradition.

"Tradición" is a hand-embroidered scroll that Jorda and her grandmother Wilhelmina worked on. The word "tradición" is sown multiple times in Spanish and English within the scroll and reflects the passage of time and the transfer of cultural values between generations, said Jorda.

"What I hope people take away from this artwork is to look closely and think about the many layers of how young women are cherished in this tradition and also the intense labor of the families who work hard for this event to happen," said Roche.

Did you find “Artist explores meaning of quinceaneras” interesting? Did you see a fascinating aspect in the way this tradition has been interpreted? If you like reading articles on art and culture, a career in art can be an opportunity to stay in touch with what you love. Read here on How To Become An Artist.


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