Fragmentos de un sueño que yo también soñé
(Fragments of a Dream I Also Dreamed)
Jeffly Gabriela Molina
Guest Curated by: Veronica Sesana Grajales
Front Gallery
On view: May 16 – July 20, 2025
Fragmentos de un sueño que yo también soñé (Fragments of a Dream I Also Dreamed) aims to visually capture the feelings of vulnerability, nostalgia, and hope embedded in the experience of many immigrants. In these works, Jeffly Gabriela Molina delves into memories and stories to create figurative compositions that fluctuate between the present, past, and future. Relying on her personal narrative, as well as interviews with families of migrants who recently arrived in Chicago, Molina intertwines moments from their current lives with motifs from their countries of origin and the futures they hope to manifest.
One of the artist’s preferred subjects is that of a dream home, where everyday objects such as a glass of water, a stairway, chairs, and photographs are arranged within “rooms” to reflect the memories and aspirations of individuals. About these compositions, Molina says that "every house is a body, and every individual body is a house full of memories and hopes."
Through fragmented, layered, and figural compositions, these works mirror the experience of many individuals and families who leave their countries in search of security and prosperity. Her works emphasize optimism over hardship, specifically addressing the longing for a home that no longer exists while striving to create a new one. This sentiment resonates with numerous members of the Houston community, where 25% of residents are foreign-born. As such, this exhibition seeks to foster a sense of community and honor people’s stories.
About the Artist
Jeffly Gabriela Molina
Jeffly Gabriela Molina is a Chicago-based artist from Táchira, Venezuela. Molina moved to the U.S. in 2007 and lived in Miami for four years. In 2011, she transferred from the New World School of the Arts to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago where she graduated with a BFA in 2013 and an MFA in 2016. In addition to participating in multiple group and solo exhibitions, she has undertaken two permanent public sculpture commissions in Miami. Her most recent exhibitions include Prelude to a Home Made of Thirst and Water at IAH in Seoul, South Korea and Con todo el Corazon with Brad Stumpf at Ambar Quijano in Mexico City. She has been awarded an Emerging Artist Fellowship from the Driehaus Museum, the AAF/Seebacher Prize for Fine Arts, a Carol Becker’s Dean Grant, and a John W. Kurtich scholarship.
About the Guest Curator
Veronica Sesana Grajales
Born in Bogotá, Colombia Veronica Sesana Grajales received her MA degree (2017) in Modern and Contemporary Art History, Theory, and Criticism from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She is currently an Independent Curator developing exhibitions on Latin American and Latinx artists. In addition to her focus on contemporary Latin American art, her research and curatorial interests include exploring dialogues across the Global South and creating thought-provoking exhibitions that center on contemporary sociopolitical issues. She has held curatorial positions at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (2017 – 2024), Sullivan Galleries in Chicago (2016 – 2017), Art Institute of Chicago (2016), and Cisneros Fontanals Art Foundation in Miami (2014).