“Stella” refers to the stellated figure that results from cutting a buttressed tropical tree. On one side, a five-pointed star appears. On the other side, it transforms into a constellation. This project is about diaspora, from the extirpation of this incredible tree from its native habitat in the Caribbean, its reestablishment in Polynesia, to its journey to a new existence in New York. This photograph was taken in the Dowd Gallery, SUNY Cortland in 2021.
