Unmasked tells the story of Allison Martínez Arocho’s non-linear experience with diasporic grief—from a despair filled homesickness to eventual acceptance. It has been 13 years since I moved to the United States from Puerto Rico, and during the first few years of my transplanting, I thought I would be homesick in perpetuity. To cope, I began to study and create Puerto Rican folk art in the form of Vejigante masks. The mask themes of joyful resistance and refusal to assimilate became a core part of my identity, yet the rigidity I adopted became a hinderance for growth. I felt stunted in my artwork as well as in my personal life, but I continued to develop my vision. The expressions of my masks changed over time, and my work evolved to include painting and sculpture as I sprung to each beat of my grief. Now in acceptance, I delight in the abundance of today. I can finally honor my homeland in radiant harmony with my current home.

She started to make art in her free time as a fundraising effort to aid in the recovery of Puerto Rico after hurricane Maria roared across the archipelago. Shortly after, she realized art was her passion, and she made a massive career change from developing software to creating art full-time. Alli's work is inspired by Puerto Rican folklore, and her experience as a Latina in the diaspora. She leans into her own diasporic nostalgia and shares familiar stories that allow her to connect with displaced Latinxs from all over. Alli has shown her work both in Utah and Puerto Rico, and aside from making a living from her art, she actively works with artisans in Puerto Rico to help preserve cultural traditions.

Unmasked tells the story of Allison Martínez Arocho’s non-linear experience with diasporic grief—from a homesickness filled with despair to eventual acceptance. Arocho moved from Puerto Rico to the United States 13 years ago, and during the first few years of her transplanting, she thought she would be homesick in perpetuity. To cope, she began to study and create Puerto Rican folk art in the form of Vejigante masks. The mask themes of joyful resistance and refusal to assimilate became a core part of her identity, yet the rigidity she adopted became a hinderance for growth. She felt stunted in her artwork as well as in her personal life, but she continued to develop her vision. The expressions of her masks changed over time, and her work evolved to include painting and sculpture as she sprung and adapted to each beat of her grief. Now in acceptance, she delights in the abundance of today. She can finally honor her homeland in radiant harmony with her current home.

Arocho started to make art in her free time as a fundraising effort to aid in the recovery of Puerto Rico after hurricane Maria roared across the archipelago. Shortly after, she realized art was her passion, and she made a massive career change from developing software to creating art full-time. Her work is inspired by Puerto Rican folklore, and her experience as a Latina in the diaspora. She leans into her own diasporic nostalgia and shares familiar stories that allow her to connect with displaced Latinxs from all over. Alli has shown her work both in Utah and Puerto Rico, and aside from making a living from her art, she actively works with artisans in Puerto Rico to help preserve cultural traditions.