Bernardo Vallarino

My work explores themes of human suffering, systemic violence, political control, and social hypocrisy, exposing the disposable way human life is treated in moments of unrest, conflict, or indifference. Across borders and ideologies, those deemed undesirable or foreign are too often reduced to abstractions, stripped of dignity, identity, and humanity; a reality I experienced growing up in Colombia during the 1980s and 1990s, and later in the United States, a society seemingly peaceful yet detached from the violence it exports. To express this dynamic, I draw on metaphors from insects, creatures historically used to dehumanize “the other.” Beyond their symbolism, insects and entomology shape the formal vocabulary of my work through scale, repetition, classification, and anonymity. Rooted in a childhood spent amid Colombia’s immense biodiversity, this lifelong connection provides a framework for addressing human loss and the vast scope of collective suffering. My installations and sculptures are designed to be emotionally immersive and morally provocative. They do not offer answers, but create space for viewers to confront uncomfortable truths: our complicity in systemic violence, our instinct to turn away from pain, and the ease with which empathy vanishes. This pragmatic outlook stems from my coming-out experience, when declarations of love from family, church, and community collapsed under conditional expectations and contradictory actions. Through my work, I aim to critique systems of power while honoring the lived experiences of those who are marginalized by them. I view art not as a solution, but as a way to bear witness, raise awareness, and inspire action