ENERGY AND PATTERNS IN THE COSMOS, GISELA COLÓN IN CONNECTICUT
The Latin American artist draws inspiration from the landscapes of Puerto Rico and those of her adopted home in California to create sculptures that reveal the transformative power of nature.
The Bruce Museum (Connecticut, USA) presents Gisela Colón: Radiant Earth, an exhibition of abstract, luminescent sculptures inspired by the natural world. Organized by guest curator Dr. Danielle O’Steen and the museum’s Curator of Art, Dr. Margarita Karasoulas, the exhibition of the contemporary Puerto Rican-American artist will be on view through June 28, 2026.
Gisela Colón (b. 1966), based in Los Angeles, looks to the energies and patterns found in nature and the cosmos, bringing together feminist and ecological histories as well as scientific principles in her art. Her sculptures not only build on the artistic legacies of Minimalism, Light and Space, and Land Art, but also capture her experiences with the mountainous terrain of her childhood in Puerto Rico and the sublime vistas of her adoptive homeland of California.
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Installation view Gisela Colón: Radiant Earth. Courtesy of GISELA COLÓN STUDIO
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Installation view Gisela Colón: Radiant Earth. Courtesy of GISELA COLÓN STUDIO
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Gisela Colón. Monolito Parabólico (Mercurio Limonita, Cavernas de Camuy, Noroeste de Puerto Rico), 2025. Aurora particles, stardust, cosmic radiation, intergalactic matter, ionic waves, organic carbamate, earth matter, gravity, energy, and time 98.5 x 24 x 12 in (250.2 x 61 x 30.5 cm)
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Gisela Colón. Estructura Toté mica (Piedras Contra Balas, Humo Supernova Arecibo), 2022, Monolith form composed of aurora particles, stardust, cosmic radiation, intergalactic matter, ionic waves, organic carbamate, earth matter, energy, gravity, and time, stacked upon bullet- resistant Lucite base containing layered matter, from bottom to top: pulverized bullets, Puerto Rico red earth (fango Borinqueñ o), Western desert sands, cosmic dust, 87.5 x 9 x 9 in (222.25 x 22.86 x 22.86 cm)
Although Colón began her career as a painter, she has worked in sculpture for over a decade, collaborating with partners in the aerospace and scientific communities to find new applications for engineered materials such as plastics, environmentally-sustainable carbon fiber, and green resins. Through her years of experimentation, Colón invented a method of “structural color,” layering and laminating materials together to create sculptures with ever-changing colors that are activated by light, inspired by her formative years in Puerto Rico.
Gisela Colón: Radiant Earth presents a primer on Colón’s work, featuring eight sculptures, including her biomorphic Pods, filled with layers of radiant colors that glow from within, and her monumental Monoliths. These tall, freestanding, obelisk forms appear both ancient and futuristic, drawing on Puerto Rico’s geological formations, historic cultural artifacts, and cosmic phenomena. The Monoliths contain swirling constellations of natural, iridescent pigments that mirror dynamics found in nature, galaxies, and deep space.
Together, these artworks represent Colón’s profound connection to the Earth, the luminous landscapes of Puerto Rico and California, and the transformative power of the natural world.
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