Among Her Symbiotic Waves

Collaborated with Ecuadorian-American artist Sara Donoso during a 2024 artist residency in Costa Rica.
Partnered with CIMPA and the Mathematical Department at the University of Costa Rica to explore the intersection of art and science.
Highlighted women’s contributions in a male-dominated space by incorporating fractal patterns and fluid dynamics equations into the mural.
Celebrated the synergy between mathematical concepts and artistic expression through an innovative and culturally resonant design.

Rough Ideas:

Inspired by a conversation with researcher Adriana Sánchez, we envisioned spaces for women to share experiences and collaborate in male-dominated fields.

Designed to symbolize collaboration, each woman's hair features mathematical representations of their unique fields.
Highlights how these connections create meaningful, impactful contributions to the world.

Designed to celebrate women’s strength and intelligence in mathematics.

Feedback on the resemblance to religious iconography led to reimagining her hair as ocean waves, inspired by Costa Rica's nature.
Added fluid dynamics formulas to align with the wave concept and enhance intentionality.

Final Design

Let’s Start Painting!

With only eight days left to finish the mural we started off by sanding and washing the wall and priming it with white paint.

6 days left…

After finishing the second coat of primer, we started drawing out the design but found out that our initial design did not fit the dimensions of the wall. So we had to fill in and add details to fill in the missing gap.

2 days left…(we needed some reinforcements )

With a mountain of tasks and time slipping away, iiArte the art department at the University of Costa Rica (UCR) came through with some wonderful volunteers, who jumped in to help us bring the mural to life just in time.

Finished Mural!

With tremendous support, "Entre sus olas Simbióticas," which translates to "Within Her Symbiotic Waves," has been completed! We chose this name because it beautifully represents the connection between math and art, which was our primary goal. This mural would not have come to life without the invaluable contributions of Mariela Porras Chaverri and Maria Luisa, who connected us with the opportunity to collaborate with CIMPA, CICANUM, the dedicated volunteers at iiArte, and the IIP program at UW-Madison. Their support made this artist's residency possible, and we are truly grateful.