This photograph features a colorful two-piece outfit, including a pink and yellow button-up top and blue pants, both made from striped market bags. The handles of the bags are incorporated into the neckline and sleeves of the shirt and the waistband of the pants. The outfit appears against a simple white background.

Bolsote (wearable no. 2)

  • Dulce Soledad Ibarra
ArtistDulce Soledad Ibarra
Year2019
Dimensions65 x 63 inches (165.1 cm x 160.02 cm)
MediumBolsa de mercado, thread, buttons
CreditImage courtesy of the artist and The Pit LA, photographed by Jeff McLane

Constructed from Mexican market bags, the works in Dulce Soledad Ibarra’s Bolsotes series pay tribute to laborers and their uniforms. Much of Dulce’s work is inspired by the Piñata District of Los Angeles, a regional landmark and community defined by Latinx (primarily Mexican) culture and migrant methods of survival. Even in the best of times, the resilience of the laborers and small-business owners in this district is tested daily due to economic uncertainty and limited resources. Since the spring of 2020, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the community has been profound, intensifying the need for new strategies of adaptability and sustainability.