“Boca Sucia” is storytelling turned - oral history turned - transfer of knowledge turned - hieroglyphic.

Using red and pink lipsticks, the artist uses her mouth to transform recipes, family stories and chisme’ into physical marks. Lipstick on lips on paper.

The act of orally transmuting histories is a ritual practiced in Latin cultures since forever. It is a tradition and rite of passage. These pieces act as markers of the feminine, powerful, and profound past.

Womxn in a kitchen smoking cigarettes and drinking coffee. Big sisters telling you stories while applying makeup in the mirror. Secrets whispered behind overworked and wrinkled palms. Grandma’s Recipe Books with waterlogged pages. We are just filling in the blanks.

Jasmine Dillavou is a Boricua artist, educator and activist based out of Colorado Springs. Dillavou received her BA in Visual and Performing Arts from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs and has since shown in numerous exhibitions across the Front Range. Her work often explores themes of visibility within Caribbean diaspora identities. From intimate performance pieces to immersive installations, Dillavou investigates liberation, decolonization, and femininity through a personal lens.