The ‘Disease Thrower’ series (2019) are autobiographical constructions which are at once sculptures, shrines, wearable headdresses, and healing instruments, reflecting on the artist’s own experiences as an undocumented migrant and cancer survivor.
Elements of the work are crafted from objects collected during Maravilla’s retracing of his childhood migration route made alone to the USA at the age of 8 to escape the Salvadoran Civil War, interwoven with items from the spiritual and shamanic practices the artist experienced after his diagnosis with colon cancer in his mid-30s. The works consider ancient and contemporary methods of healing the body and spirit from the traumas of displacement. The artist works with healers of all types to activate the works during sound ceremonies which include gongs, singing, flutes, harmonicas and many other types of sound instruments.