Tina's House, from the series Home Visits

Inspiration for Tina’s House came from the story of Philadelphia woman Tina Rosado and her two daughters, who lost everything in a house fire. The tabletop sculpture recreates the condition of the family’s home in the aftermath of the fire; precariously stacked piles of miniature objects fill the interior, including upturned furniture, picture frames, food and household products, Barbie dolls and other toys, and a working chandelier. Many of the items are half submerged in transparent resin at ground level, suggesting a flood. Images of butterflies and Osorio’s self-portrait decorate the removable roof of the structure, while dolls representing Tina and her children occupy the snow-covered yard, complete with a white picket fence. Amid the chaos of the interior is a figurine of the Virgin of Guadalupe, a popular religious icon in many Latin American countries. The presence of the Virgin corroborates Osorio’s intentions of helping the family to restore their faith after the tragedy, aiding them in the healing process.

Tina’s House was one of several works in Osorio’s Home Visits series, which traveled to different private residences. The series recalls the Puerto Rican tradition of the visiting saint, in which religious icons are borrowed from a church for short-term private devotion in one’s home.