Art, Reality, Belonging
Musings from the ‘74 Community
CLAUDIA HILDA
Artist and writer Claudia Hilda reflects on rootedness, memory, and the artistic lens through which she sees the world. From her studio in New York to childhood moments in Havana, her thoughts trace the invisible threads that connect creativity, perception, and a sense of belonging.
Where are you from and where are you now?
Born in Cuba, I have stretched new roots in New York City. Just like the Socratea exorrhiza, the so-called walking palm, I’ve shifted my epicenter in search of a nurturing life. Yet, like the palm, my old roots remain intact—deeply embedded in the land that shaped me. After all, many scientists believe the tree is stationary, and in many ways, so am I.
What defines your reality?
Creativity and kindness.
Where is it that you most feel like you belong?
Nature. Spaces where creation unfolds. My art studio. And to the living room with no furniture in my parents’ house in Havana, where emptiness was a stage of absolute love.
What holds the most power to alter your perceptions?
METAPHOR, CREATIVITY, BEAUTY, TIME -when it bends-, and the good UNEXPECTED.
The relationship of art with reality, for you?
I live, think, see, and exist through art. Art is what I am; what I’ve become. As risky, surreal, and tormenting as it can be at times, I don’t know any reality outside of an artistic life. Art is the lens through which I perceive the world—there is no distinction between the two for me.