A Milwaukee artist is turning corn husks into elaborate sculptures, and for the first time, her work has an exhibition all its own.Yessica Coria, whose business is Kordia Graphic Arts, has been working with corn husks for about 14 years. Her first solo exhibition opened over the weekend at Mitchell Street Arts and runs through June 26.Coria, who is originally from Mexico, said she dyes corn husks in a wide range of colors to create dolls, figures, and large-scale sculptures. One dress on display features more than 100 flowers, all made from corn husks, and is built on a chicken wire frame."I dye the cornhusk. I can dye the cornhusk in many colors," Coria said.Coria said she trained as a graphic designer but has always been involved in all forms of art. Her exploration of corn husk as a medium deepened after a museum visit revealed just how widespread the tradition is across cultures.Watch: Milwaukee artist Yessica Coria showcases first solo exhibition of corn husk sculptures Mitchell Street Arts new exhibition focuses on corn husk art"I'm from Mexico, and I thought that Mexico was the only one that creates corn husk art," Coria said. "Then I found out that from Polish they do some basket, and from China they do some sandals, and also from Brazil they do some furniture."She added that corn husk is both lightweight and durable, noting that Native Americans used the material to make mats and rugs that have lasted for generations.Among the works on display are figures known as Katrinas skeletal figures associated with the Day of the Dead. Coria said the Katrina image originated with Mexican artist Posadas, who created the figure as a form of mockery directed at Mexican and Hispanic people. Over time, other artists, including Diego Rivera, expanded on the image, and it was eventually embraced and reclaimed as a cultural symbol."I wanted to do my own representation with that," Coria said.Coria also teaches corn husk art through workshops she organizes herself, and she is available to lead workshops for outside groups.Her residency at Mitchell Street Arts helped bring this solo exhibition to life. She is a member of an arts collective and has shown her work in group settings before, but this marks the first exhibition dedicated entirely to her work.The exhibition is open during regular Mitchell Street Arts hours through June 26.TMJ4 learned about this exhibition through our partnership with ImagineMKE.This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.Its about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for TMJ4 on your device.Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.Report a typo or error // Submit a news tip ...read more read less