In contrast to historical narratives of European conquest—specifically, Juan Ponce de León’s 1513 expedition—Surel reframes Florida’s origin as one grounded in birth and fertility, shifting the focus towards coexistence and ecological interdependence.
The mural’s unglazed, sandy surface evokes the texture of a sandcastle, referencing the state’s shores. Building on the themes in her earlier work, Surel depicts the peninsula as a generative presence intrinsically linked to the environment that sustains her. The work invites viewers into a symbolic geography where past, present, and future converge, and the divine feminine emerges as a source of knowledge, care, and continuity.
Laura Novoa