“Chosen family are the folks that love you undeniably, unconditionally,” artist David Antonio Cruz tells the Guardian. “They don’t come with restrictions or rules.” He’s been thinking about chosen family a lot lately, as his new solo show at the Institute of Contemporary Art at the University of Pennsylvania is all about tracing his steps back to the non-biological family that has nurtured him. When the Children Come Home marks a long overdue return to his hometown, the celebrated artist’s first-ever solo show in the city that raised him.
“It’s very special to have a solo exhibition in Philadelphia,” Cruz said. “Home can mean many things, and sometimes home is challenging. It’s a choice, and coming back meant that I wanted to think about the city and its impact on me. This is where it began, it’s really beautiful.”
