Color has always played an integral role in Diana Eusebio’s art practice, but a particular shade of red dye made from cochineal beetles has taken some precedence as of late.
“Because of its pH sensitivity, it’s a red that’s one of the hardest to control because alkaline water can make it shift to purple in an instant, and acidity can turn it pink,” says the Miami-based artist. “I admire the strength in the color as it shifts while staying authentic.”
Eusebio can relate. Staying authentic—to exploring the indigenous traditions of the Caribbean and Latin America, their connection to nature, and their role as carriers of ancestral wisdom—is what the Peruvian-Dominican creative strives for in her work. She does this with a fusion of old and modern techniques, including textiles, dyes, and digital photography, to turn out mixed-media works informed by her heritage.
All this is at the core of Field of Dreams, an exhibition (through March 16, 2026) at the Museum of Contemporary Art in North Miami of Eusebio’s work that focuses on the immigrant experience and the recreation of home. In the presentation, Eusebio highlights the vibrant colors found in natural environments in the Caribbean and South America and ties them to their historical reference.
Equally symbolic among the works is the orchid, which is depicted often. “It’s a flower that was brought to the U.S. by Latinx and Afro-Caribbean immigrants, and it symbolizes the immigrants’ plight within our current political climate in which they are seen as foreign and difficult and then discarded. I feel my work’s purpose is to share these stories and traditions and to be a catalyst for difficult conversations.”
Story Credits:
Text by Saxon Henry
Photos courtesy of Museum of Contemporary Art in North Miami
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