Justin Favela
"Cubre-lavador a (Washing Machine Cover)" Cubreme Con Tus Manto Sagrados (Series), 2018
Yarn and cardboard
Courtesy of Brooke Feder and Jesse Stuart

When I was seven years old, I went on my first family trip to Mexico with my grandparents. It was a true culture shock to me to see that my family was from a small pueblo with dirt roads, adobe houses, and no phone lines! My grandmother's house had a little corral in the back with a cement basin and washboard. Next to the basin was an old, round 1960s washing machine with a custom plastic cover that could be zipped on and off between uses. I was so tickled by the fact that the washing machine had a cover! I asked my grandmother why they covered their washing machines in Mexico and she said, "We have to protect the things that are important to us." Many years later, after going to art school, I wanted to collaborate with my grandmother, who had been crocheting more since my grandfather passed. She had free time on her hands and I noticed this funny little crochet cover she made for her blender. I recalled my childhood trip to Mexico and asked her if she would want to collaborate on artwork with me and that was the beginning of our crochet series.

The collaboration brought my grandmother and me closer together. It also made me realize that my abuela is an amazing artist in her own right and that her creativity deeply influenced me and my art practice.