Max Sarmiento is a visual artist who through his work shares intimate and personal moments of his dual Ecuadorian and American upbringing. Sarmiento uses' a wide variety of materials to stage and tell his stories of Andean traditions and the chaoticness of inner-city Queens.
“Made during my travels in France, and the frame is an antique frame from a Parisian Flee Market which took me two weeks to clean!”
This painting depicts what has happened to me and what typically happens during a birthday celebration in many Latin American households.
"La Mordida", the bite, is when the birthday person has to take a small bite of the cake to start the nights festivities. It's never something to look forward to as there's always a cousin, sibling or friend ready to smash your face into the entirety of the cake. Not very hygienic but that's why there's always a second cake!