Fatima
PASTPRESENTFUTURENOW, 2025
Steel, brass, leather, wool
Artist Statement
The past is the present is the future is the present. All we have is now. Time does not move in a straight line, but in a cyclical rhythm- returning, folding in on itself. Yet so much of our lives is spent replaying what has already occurred or projecting ourselves into what has not yet arrived. In doing so, we forget that everything unfolds only in this moment, right here. This work is a record of that realization: a breaking of time’s illusion. Through relearning how the brain and body operate together, it becomes clear that the nervous system knows only the present. A memory from the past can trigger the same chemical reactions in the body as the original experience. Trauma carried through blood memory echoes across generations. Likewise, when we set intentions to heal inherited patterns, we can alter genetic expression- changes that may be carried to future generations. In this way, when we overcome, heal, or arrive at certain understandings, we do so not only for ourselves, but for our ancestors and our descendants. As I made this record, I reflected on the state of no-time- the fullness of the present moment. The piece functions as a physical record of presence. Its circular form holds cyclical time, while the hammered brass center captures a singular moment of focused attention, each mark a trace of being fully here. The threads descending from the form anchor the work to the ground, reminding us that even as time loops and unfolds, we remain rooted in the now. Breath revealed itself as the tether to presence, like roots connecting the body to the earth. The threads that fall onto the floor embody this grounding- affirming that wherever we are, and whatever we do, we return again and again to the present moment.
Artist bio
FÁTIMA (b. Earth, 0000) is a Mexican artist working in the fire arts: blacksmithing, light working, metal casting and fabrication. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a focus in Sculpture and Printmaking from Loyola University in New Orleans and pursued her Master of Fine Arts degree in Sculpture at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. In her practice, FÁTIMA delves deep into the roots of radical ancestry. Each piece becomes a vessel through which she communicates with the past, present and future. Objects and spaces transcend their physical forms, becoming conduits for ritualistic expression with the intention of forging narratives of connection.
artist website: www.fatima.studio
@fatimastudio.art
