Ena Alva’s practice explore the essence of belonging, not as a fixed state but as a continuous, unfolding process. Born into a convergence of cultures—French, Peruvian, and Italian—Alva’s sense of identity has never adhered to a singular place. Instead, it hovers in the in-between spaces, where cultures, memories, and experiences intersect but never fully merge. In her paintings, space and form are not static; they evolve and respond to one another. Bodies emerge and dissolve. There is no definitive ‘where’ or ‘when,’ but rather a state of suspension.

​

Memory plays a crucial role in Alva’s exploration of belonging–Although it is never linear in her work, rather fluid and mutable, like the spaces she constructs. Memory becomes both a source of connection and dislocation, embodying the tension between the places she has left behind and the new identities she continuously negotiates.

​

In her compositions, memories of landscapes, cities, and personal moments are abstracted into textures and forms, shifting in and out of focus. These visual echoes suggest that belonging is not simply tied to physical places but is intricately bound to the memories we carry and how we reinterpret them over time. As such, memory becomes an active participant in the search for grounding, a force that shapes but never fully defines who we are.

​

Alva’s works suggest that perhaps true belonging exists not in the rootedness to a specific place, but in the continuous negotiation of space, form, memory, and self. Through the textures, lines, and shapes, there is both tension and harmony—a balance between longing and acceptance, where belonging becomes an ephemeral experience, adaptable and evolving.