ON VIEW IN HAL GOMER GALLERY
Voices of Hispanic and Latinx Artists
Hal Gomer Gallery | September 7 2023 - October 17, 2023
Artist Reception: September 21, 6 pm - 8 pm
Hispanic and Latinx Artists have continued to make monumental contributions to our nation’s past and present. National Hispanic Heritage Month pays tribute to the social, political, and cultural history and contributions of the Hispanic and Latinx Community, while also celebrating their enrichment in the future of America’s heritage. Voices of Hispanic and Latinx Artists Exhibition will highlight artists from a wide range of identities, backgrounds, stories, and experiences, through the power of their creativity. This exhibit will be on display from September 7, 2023 - October 17, 2023 in our Hal Gomer Gallery at Chesapeake Arts Center.
Participating Artists:
Aynex Mercado - Aynex was born in 1978 in Puerto Rico and now lives in USA. She came to the US in 1996 to go to the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. In 1997 had a car accident and suffered a spinal cord injury. Before the accident, Aynex was right-handed and after the accident, she couldn't control her right hand very well so she learned to be left-handed. Some people say that that left-handed people are more artistic. Aynex was creative before the accident but now she is very interested in art. She has been self-taught in her art and works intuitively.
Camila Leão - Camila Leão is a visual artist specializing in illustration, painting, public art, and graphic design. Originally from Brazil, Camila recently moved to Baltimore and has been active in the local art community, participating in a number of projects. Her art style features vibrant colors, mixed textures and fluid elements. Most recently, she was featured in Baltimore Magazine and designed the artwork for the largest sculpture in the city of Essex, Maryland. Camila's art depicts her connection to the surrounding nature and world, as is inspired by her South American origins. Her work is featured on various surfaces, including canvases and street/ city structures.
Catherine R Mapp - Catherine R. Mapp currently lives and works in Baltimore, MD. She received her BFA in Interdisciplinary Sculpture from the Maryland Institute College of Art in 2022. Mapp has already exhibited in numerous national and international exhibitions including the Waiola Art Center in Hawaii, the Ditchling Museum of Craft in England, Deanna Evans Projects in NYC, and Area 405 as well as Loyola University in Maryland. She is currently working on her Master's in Teaching at the Maryland Institute, as well as planning various curatorial and community art ventures for summer and fall.
David Zambrano - David ‘DEZ’ Zambrano is an artist in the DMV area, originally from Los Angeles. DEZ has made his mark in the sneaker community as one of the best custom sneaker artists in the world. He does this for a living having worked with companies like Adidas, Under Armour, MLB, NFLPA, NBAPA, and professional athletes from almost every major sport. This does not take away that DEZ is also an incredibly diverse artist, specializing in canvas art, murals and more. His first love for art began at an early age, was cultivated at home, and exploded when he watched the classic hip hop movie Beat Street. There began a love for graffiti, urban art, bright colors and passionate statements through color and contrast. Growing up in Virginia and riding the red line to Silver Spring on the weekends to see his father, DEZ was exposed to some amazing street art. He has no formal training in art and is almost entirely self taught. When you see DEZ’s artwork you’ll immediately get a sense of emotion. Vibrant colors, dark contrast, splatters and knife strikes make up a small part of the arsenal DEZ uses to create stunning images. What can only be described as URBAN CONTEMPORARY or STREET ART, his pieces are something you need to witness in person.
Edgar David Nazario - My name is Edgar David Nazario. I am a multidisciplinary artist, musician, photographer, and filmmaker from Puerto Rico. My oil work is a celebration of Latin American folklore, a rich tapestry of stories, traditions, and vibrant experiences. Through the vivid colors and playful brushstrokes, I seek to capture the essence of this cultural legacy, inviting viewers to immerse themselves in the colorful glory and spirited movement of my pieces. Each stroke and hue is deliberately chosen to evoke a sense of nostalgia, transporting the audience to a place where memories and traditions intermingle.
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Jessy DeSantis - Raised in a Nicaraguan household in Miami, FL and now residing in Baltimore City, Jessy DeSantis is a self-taught artist creating meaningful, vibrant work. Their painting's stark contrast of vibrant color and white space draws the viewer into their subjects. They are inspired by their connection to nature, food, family, and their Central American roots. Their paintings, often depicting birds, are more than just visually beautiful, many carry in them intention with a story to be told. They seek to pass on these stories of heritage and truth with all of it's complexities to their children and future generations. The artist states that as they grow and evolve through life, that their art will evolve and shift with them. They are currently mastering the art of portraiture and storytelling through a cultural and historical lens.
Lillian Jacobson - Lillian Jacobson is a figure painter based in Baltimore, Maryland, whose works explore themes of identity, introspection, and the interplay of personal and collective narratives. Born in Bogotá, Colombia, and growing up in Maryland, Lillian brings a rich cultural background and a unique blend of perspectives to her artistic practice. Lillian earned a BFA in painting at the Maryland Institute College of Art. Lillian's work has been recognized and celebrated in various group exhibitions across Maryland. With each exhibition, Lillian expands her reach and sparks meaningful conversations as viewers are invited to embark on their own introspective journeys.
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Maria Alvarez Alvarado - My work focuses on the multifaceted and fragmented human mind. I express the common desire to take the easy route in life oppose to deciding to do what’s best in the long run. I create artwork to understand myself and sometimes to inspire change of opinions in others.
I lean towards the expressionism genre. I enjoy incorporating words or sentences in my projects. Sometimes I paint from photographs I’ve taken. my aim is to replicate the images loosely. Other times I do still life paintings or draw from life in real time. I use colors that wouldn’t normally be there.
Michael “Miki” Young - Michael Young / aka Miki (He/Him/They)- Originally from South Florida, Miki started venturing into event organizing and life as a musician/performing artist from 1997. Coming from Cuban decent and family lineage related to poet, musician and freedom fighter, Pedro Felipe Figueredo, who wrote the Cuban national anthem, El Himno de Bayamo, in 1867, Miki was connected to expression through the arts. In 2004, Miki relocated to Baltimore and was very inspired by the culture and art communities. Miki began to work collaborating and managing with local artists through arts & music, which later developed a connection with the industry in Japan. That started a journey of over a decade of exchanges with Japan and the DMV area in programming exhibition, performances, and workshops at many of the areas top institutions. In recent years, Miki has been exploring photography. Collaborating with local photographers and artists from all over the world.
Credits: Concept & Design - Miki / Photography - Van Ngo / Performer - Lucia Li
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Maria Paula Rodriguez - Maria Paula Rodriguez is a multi-disciplinary artist born in El Salvador in 1998. When she was 15 years old, she and her mother moved to The U.S to pursue a better life. She started painting at a young age, and continued to do so all throughout highschool. She attended The Savannah College of Art and Design, and earned a B.F.A in Fashion Design in 2021. After college she moved back to Maryland, where she is now based and works as a Print Designer. Maria loves blending her painting skills with fashion. Her art ranges from paintings, to clothing, to pottery; all focusing on themes of identity, emotions, and storytelling. Maria’s artwork inspiration roots from her childhood in El Salvador, losing her sister to gang violence at an early age and her life as an immigrant. She paints with acrylics, and makes use of bright bold colors that symbolize hope and courage in her life. Painting has helped Maria heal her inner child and hopes that her artworks provide happiness and comfort to the people who see them.
Natalie Cruz - Natalie Cruz is a queer multimedia artist based in Silver Spring, MD. Born in Los Angeles, CA, to Salvadoran immigrants, she pays homage to the bright, vivacious technicolor of animation she loved as a kid while weaving them into her own stories. As the star of her own movie, Natalie incorporates fantastical escapism in color and line to portray her process of dealing with trauma and depression. She contemplates her relationships with herself, her family, the world, and divinity, retaining a distinct style through portrait, abstract, and 3D elements. As a passionate environmentalist, Natalie incorporates found materials such as discarded wire decoration, cellophane, and takeout bags to highlight the effects of human over-consumption on the environment and the individual psyche. She loves the metamorphosis of turning unassuming ingredients into splendid, impactful images.
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Paula Zaremba - Are we, ourselves, the art? Our ability to love, to feel deeply, to express, to heal, be healers, this all feels like art.
I express mental wellbeing and trauma healing, representation, family healing, my Creator, our natural world (madre tierra; Mother Earth), and reclaiming my cultures as a transracially adopted latina. This process is one of decolonizing, de-constructing and re-constructing my understanding of my life and experiences. As I explore artistic themes and ideas, I connect to generations before me, who are indigenous to lands of El Salvador and Mexico, and of Spain, and beyond, before that. I create art to understand, to express, and most of all, see hope. And this art making feels sacred. A form of resistance. Bright colors and deep jewel tones are meant to celebrate the beauty of expression, regardless of heavy or painful subject matter and natural earth colors and nature images symbolize our connection to madre tierra. Collage allows me to re-imagine and blend reality with dream.
Stefanie Contessoto - I'm a 35-year-old artist hailing from vibrant Sao Paulo, Brazil. With a degree in Visual Communication, my creative journey has led me through the world of graphic design and the buzzing energy of tattoo shops. My artistic soul finds its home in experimenting with various materials, giving life to my canvas through explosive bursts of vivid colors.
Yamilet I. Ortiz - Latina artist whose work vividly captures her experience of cultural duality and assimilation. Raised amidst the beauty and vibrancy of island life, her art serves as a testament to her rich heritage and upbringing.
This artist's unique perspective stems from her personal journey of diaspora, which has influenced her creative process and the themes she explores. Her art is heavily inspired by the lively colors and energy found in island landscapes and daily life. Additionally, her passion for roller skating and community building events plays a significant role in her artistic expression.
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