Core Memories

Rammed Earth
Puente Hills, Los Angeles, CA
2026

Core Memories draws from the idea that landscapes hold memory in their physical layers and in the lived experiences of nearby communities. The artwork is inspired by the unique topography and layered history of Puente Hills, shaped by natural forces and decades of compacted waste.

For surrounding neighborhoods, largely communities of color, the Puente Hills Landfill has long symbolized environmental burden. Residents recall the odors, noise, and constant movement of dump trucks; as Supervisor Hilda Solis reflected, people “grew up thinking that was normal” even as air pollution and traffic diminished daily life in Avocado Heights, Bassett, and La Puente.

Strategically placed in front of the Environmental Justice Center, the installation responds to these intertwined histories through rammed earth monoliths formed from soils and recycled concrete collected from the surrounding area. Like geological core samples, the sculptures expose the strata of Puente Hills and the memories embedded within them. Visitors walk between these vertical slices of earth, encountering the site’s layers in a tactile way. Native plantings incorporated into the sculptures further settle the artwork into the site’s broader landscape design.

Core Memories acknowledges environmental injustice while honoring communities shaped by it, offering a space for reflection and restoration.

In collaboration with James Shen of People’s Architecture Office.