In Hope & Renewal: Cartographies of Form and Color Print Series

A vibrant exploration of memory, place, and the emotional landscapes color can create. Step into the luminous world of Angela Bolaños with In Hope & Renewal, a stunning series that reimagines the iconic monstera leaf as a living map of ancestry, emotion, and identity. Blending gouache painting with embroidered thread, Bolaños transforms each leaf into a radiant “cartography” — a form that shifts, breathes, and evolves with every color palette.

In this series, the monstera leaf becomes more than a botanical symbol. Rooted in the tropical forests across Mexico, Belize, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Panama, the leaf acts as an anchor for Bolaños’s own memories of migration, home, and the layered geographies that shape her Central American heritage. Every iteration reflects a different emotional climate: bold contrasts filled with energy, soft tonal harmonies full of quiet nostalgia, and palettes that pulse with tenderness and grounding. The embroidered edges trace each leaf like a hand-drawn map — slow, tactile, and deeply human.

Bolaños’s unique fusion of painting and fiber honors craft traditions while celebrating the expressive power of color. The gouache provides crisp silhouettes and saturated tones; the thread adds texture, intention, and the presence of the hand. Together, they create artworks that feel both intimate and expansive — a meditation on the threads we inherit, the colors we choose, and the ways we root ourselves through making. Each piece in In Hope & Renewal is an original artwork signed by the artist, and each one is entirely unique. Though the series consists of 12 variations, we currently have only three listed for purchase: Variation 3, Variation 7, and Variation 12 — each one visually distinct from the next.

If you're drawn to a specific number from the series or would like to see how a particular variation looks before purchasing, simply email us, and we’ll be happy to share images of the exact artwork.

About the Artist