The River Library collection was an inspiration of Raquel’s born from her travels through India and her passion for making the invisible visible. Her “papel de barro” as she would call it seemed more like love letters to the innermost recesses of her heart. Raquel (my mom), would send all of us on mud missions whenever we travelled. I remember on one trip to Puerto Rico she sent me on a mud mission which took me to this river in Utuado where it had recently rained and we went sliding down the mud all the way into the river—it was as if mom knew that half the adventure was getting the mud not just bringing it back for its intended purpose. This piece from the Urubamba River held special significance for Raquel as did the country of Peru where the river is located. Raquel lived a life that always paralleled her artwork and mirrored her adventurous spirit.
—Nora Reissig
