For centuries, wealthy European patrons commissioned grand tapestries that told stories they deemed worth telling stories now preserved on museum walls. One such piece, The Sea Battle between the Fleets of Constantine and Licinius (1635), now hangs in the Philadelphia Museum of Art. “When I first encountered it, I was struck by parallels to those who migrate to America, which are often wrapped in narratives of struggle and misunderstanding. My work reimagines this iconography, capturing the raw courage and despair in these journeys and setting it in a context to be truly seen. With my art, I create spaces that challenge conventional thinking, recontextualizing familiar images to foster empathy and deeper human connections. By quite literally weaving historical symbols with modern themes, I am prompting reflection on who and what is considered worthy of belonging in art and history.” – Roberto Lugo