Written by Dilenia Rodriguez

Living Water was a Mixed media Art Show event taking place at Wellness Tea Therapy on Nostrand Ave. Brooklyn December of 2019

This is an Artist Statement
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‍Water speaks to me, it calms my fears, it moves me forward and it reveals my future. Sometime while working on my thesis in college I realized my connection with water, my invocation of water in imagery, comes from my perceived history with the ocean. The ocean that carried us here, that washed us and brought us into a chaotic togetherness. I read somewhere that when people where stolen from Africa and forced into slavery, goddess Oshun came with. She was in the ocean under the ships, I think she is the ocean. My thesis animation film, “Agua de Azucar” (Sugar water), is about my journey as a child from the Dominican Republic to America.

When I don’t have money to work with my fancy materials, I work with what I got. I look for what is there. I talk to people and I reflect on what I observe in my work. I have a purpose to make art accessible to those in my community, and I think accessibility comes from being open and being available. So as an artist my practice shape shifts into the necessary form. I also need to hustle to make a living, so I trade different skill sets

An Early draft of a short Play that takes place in a coffee shop with a mother and daughter.
Title: A Conversation with my mother
Written by Dilenia RodriguezWhen
In the point of view of Ana.
We stopped to get a sandwich for lunch.

Ana:
Okay, so you know those universal experiences ya’ll be having with yo moms?
Yeah, son I didn’t really have those. I don’t really know what to say, about it.
I met up with the woman and we didn’t click. You know what I mean? Like when you meet a person, could be an old friend or like a tinder date And y’all just don’t.. click. Click. Or shall I say tick... tick... tick...cus we’re just sitting here in silence, at a subway.
‍
(to mom)
Mah, you like your sandwich? You like it right? What’s wrong?
‍
Mom:
Nothing is wrong.
(She picks through the meal in front of her, unimpressed)There’s food at home. Bread, you think bread is gonna fill you up?

Ana:
Mah, we’re like 4 hours from home. You wanna wait until then? It’s just a sandwich.
(Puts her hand on her face)

Mom:
I could’ve waited. You didn’t have to spend your money buying me food.
(Picks up a bag of chips and tries to open it.)

Ana:
Ma, it’s just a sandwich. I wanted to buy it for you.

Mom:
I know you don’t have money like that

Ana:
Like what Ma, it’s a sandwich. I would’ve spent that money on food anyway.

Mom:
‍That’s why you're looking so fat girl.

An Early draft of a first episode for a Series
By Dilenia Rodriguez-

I’m here again.
In love. 
Had a good run there, free from … feelings.
 3 guys came and went and I didn’t dwell on it, I moved on. 
I gave it a chance but, well… dating is hard.

 It always happens so quickly, one minute you meet them, and the next you can’t stop thinking about them. Or why they ghosted.

Maybe I, smell?

Maybe I talk too much?

Is it him?

Should I wait?
Should I move on…

The story opens with me and my soft heart. We’re not thugging it out anymore.

Me: Be honest… do I have a drug problem?

Friend: You don’t do drugs you, smoke weed? 

Me: I think I have a weed problem.

Friend: Dude… same

Me: I'm trying to stop but every time it’s like, I get really depressed after a few days.

Friend: Interesting.

Other friend: Longest I stopped being high, in like… years is… 2, 3 hours.

Friend: That’s real right there. Who are you in love with?

A Blog Movie Review of A24's film "The Green Knight"
By Dilenia Rodriguez-

‍The Green Knight from  A24 studios,  starring Dev Patel and directed by David Lowery is a fantasy film worth talking about. It's a weird film, exactly what we've come to expect from this studio. The film is an adaptation of the late 14th century middle English Arthurian legend Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

Dev Patel is Sir Gawain,  a funny young fellow with knightly ambitions about to go on a quest that could change or take his life.  If you're not familiar with the original story, this epic adventure tale will shake you up, confuse you, make you laugh and leave you with a sense of "what the hell was that?". 

I joined a group of my friends at the theater in early August to watch the Green Knight. I had not watched the trailers or read anything about the film beforehand and I was not familiar with the original tale. My friend did not tell me what to expect but she mentioned that I was in for a trip. 

 The film started with a lot of blue toned foggy shots depicting a medieval North Wales unlike any I've ever seen in film. Why? There were a lot of people of color playing characters in the film. I found this refreshing, especially with a wonderful actor like Dev Patel leading the story.  Usually, I'd find period pieces based on old tales boring from the start, but this film's diverse cast did a good job in keeping me interested in the story.  A story which had a lot to digest and decipher.