← Explorations

Relics

2026-04-23

A collection of objects loaded with nostalgia.

These are six things from growing up in Puerto Rico — childhood, teenage years, early adulthood. Each one works as both a happy memory and a sad one. A reminder of what was.

The medium is real photography composited with AI.

Tostones rendered as glowing relics on black, three repeating vertically
I. Tostones
Cidrines Puerto Rican Bread loaves in plastic packaging, glowing on black
II. Pan Sobao
Pinchos with the white bread cap on the skewer, glowing on black
III. Pinchos
Cherry ICEE cups with red dome lids, glowing on black
IV. ICEE
Quenepas, three green tropical fruits glowing on black, the middle one cracked open showing the orange flesh
V. Quenepas
Empanadillas, three half-moon turnovers glowing on black
VI. Empanadillas

Whether this stays a closed set of six or grows into something bigger — I don't know yet.

View the original carousel on Instagram →

Interview

Claude (Anthropic's AI assistant) interviewed me about this series. The Q&A below is from that conversation, lightly edited for clarity.

Why these six objects, and why now? Was there a specific memory or moment that started the series?

These are objects that remind me of my childhood, teenage years, and early adulthood in Puerto Rico. They work both as a happy memory, and a sad memory, reminding me of what was.

The triptych-on-black with the red glow is consistent across all six. What were you trying to make the viewer feel with that treatment — reverence, heat, distance, something else?

I was trying to communicate the feeling of "holiness" some of these objects represent to me.

Are these photographed, AI-generated, composited — and does the medium matter to you for the meaning?

They are composited of real photographs + AI.

Why the Spanish caption only, no English?

This is deep… I feel more myself when speaking Spanish. Let's leave it at that.

Is this a closed set of six, or the start of an ongoing collection?

I'm not sure yet.


← Back to Explorations