Luz divina del alma [Divine Light of the Soul]

Few objects are as common and as evocative as pillows. In their place at the “head” of the bed, they are associated with our bodies as we rest, love, convalesce, sleep, and die. Feliciano Centurión embroidered these pillowcases at the hospital where he received treatment for the HIV-related complications that led to his early death. The blue eyes with frilly lace lashes of “Luz divina del alma” are both comic and poignant when paired with the embroidered title. In “Soledad,” the delicate handwriting of the embroidery radiates vulnerability, making the decorative lace along the edge (an important tradition in the artist’s native Paraguay) all the more moving.