About the Artwork

Leticia Maldonado and Mayra Zambrano

Care for the Creatures, 2024

Neon

“In celebration of their California roots, Leticia Maldonado and Mayra Zambrano advocate for the local flora and fauna under climate change. Zambrano’s previous art background utilizes environmental art and activism, so the duo built off that using this new skill set. They created a series of native Californian species out of neon. Parts of the installation are sculptural and three dimensional, using the neon tube as a line to contour the shapes of creatures great and small. Maldonado says of the work, “I’m lucky that the concept Mayra wanted to work on is similar to a lot of the work I create outside this residency. I’m interested in biological shapes, plants and flowers.”

Among their creations are a California Sunflower; Summer Lupine, a native perennial herb; and the California Poppy, all of which grow from northern California in the US to Baja California in Mexico. The California Poppy became the official state flower in 1903. Also included in the installation are a set of butterflies that may represent any number of native species; the Dog Face Butterfly, the California Tortoiseshell or the California Sister are all native and display a similar deep orange coloring. A symbol of strength and independence, and the centerpiece of California’s flag, a grizzly bear appears here glowing in blue–perhaps a nod to its extinction.”

-Museum of Craft and Design in San Francisco, CA.