Salvaged: Nature’s Readymades by Yusimy Lara

Natural fragments and industrial materials meet in a solo exhibition by Miami-based artist Yusimy Lara at Miami Dade College’s Kendall Campus Art Gallery. On view September 3 through October 1, Salvaged: Nature’s Readymades is presented by Deering Estate in partnership with MDC Kendall Campus Art Gallery and curated by Liliam Dominguez. The exhibition opens with a public reception on Thursday, September 3, from 6 to 8 p.m.

Lara transforms storm-stripped palm fronds, sea-worn shells and asphalt residue into sculptural works that reflect on memory, migration and geologic time. Using materials such as concrete, rebar and asphalt, she reframes substances often associated with construction and erasure as tools for preserving discarded natural forms. The work also draws connections between Havana and Miami through the limestone shelf that underlies both places, linking landscape, displacement and personal history.

Born in Havana and based in Miami, Lara studied sculpture at New World School of the Arts after spending several years in Rome. Her work has been shown at venues including Deering Estate, Lowe Art Museum, Kampong Botanical Garden and Fredric Snitzer Gallery. The exhibition is part of the Deering Estate AT Program, which presents work by current and former Deering Estate Artists-in-Residence at partner cultural institutions across the region.

Admission is free and open to the public, with opening reception RSVP available online through Eventbrite. Additional programming includes a guided visit and artist talk in September.