Miguel Luciano

Pure Plantainum is a body of work that commemorates the plátano (green plantain), a stereotypical yet iconic symbol of Puerto Rican and Caribbean culture. In the Pure Plantainum series, actual plantains were plated in platinum. The objects boast a pristine, precious exterior, while the actual fruit decomposes within. Engaging this dichotomy, they are presented like emblematic jewels that transform cultural stigmas into urban expressions of pride. Miguel Luciano received his MFA from the University of Florida. His work has been exhibited internationally at La Grande Halle de la Villette, Paris; the Ljubljana Biennial, Slovenia; the San Juan Polygraphic Triennial, Puerto Rico; and the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC. He is the recipient of the Joan Mitchell Foundation Painters and Sculptors Grant, the New York Foundation for the Arts’ Fellowship in Painting, and the Artists and Communities Grant from the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation. His work is featured in the permanent collections of the Brooklyn Museum, NY; El Museo del Barrio, NY; and the Newark Museum, NJ. Miguel Luciano lives and works in Brooklyn, NY.