The Tree of Life connects with the archetype of eternal life, a universal theme that has religious, cultural, and philosophical significance. It expands the MFA’s holdings of similar thematic works like decorative design with Tree of Life, a wonderful watercolor donated by Maxim Karolik (1893- 1963) to the MFA, Boston and William Morris’s Tree of Life textile. Additional works include Heinrich Aldegrever’s 16th century engraving, Adam and Eve Forbidden to Eat of the Tree of Life, the 17th century Tibetan Amitabha, and the Tree of Life Quilt from 1875. The Tree of Life connects with the Art of the Americas collecting strategy of acquiring works by women and Latinx artists from the United States and South America. It can be placed in dialogue with quilts from Gees Bend Alabama and the Harriet Powers quilt and expands the geographical scope of our collection.

Esperanza Cortés was born in Bogotá, Colombia in 1957 and has enjoyed a celebrated career over the past thirty-four years as a sculptor and multimedia artist. Cortés lives in Manhattan and works in Brooklyn, New York where her art practice includes paintings, textiles, sculptures, and installations, which draw on a rich vernacular tradition that embodies Afro-Latin culture of the Americas. She engages with themes of social injustice and cultural visibility. Cortés received fellowships from the Guggenheim, Joan Mitchell, and Puffin Foundations and has completed artist’s residencies at MoMA P.S.1 and Altos de Chavon, Dominican Republic. Her art is included in public and private collections including the American Embassy in Monterrey, Mexico.

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