21 May BAF-Group1-8
ARTIST STATEMENT
Whether most people realize it or not, experiences they have as children have a monumental effect on the people they mature into. I was no exception. Growing up, I was surrounded by artists and constantly around gallery setting as well as studios, and from a young age I expressed interest in making art as well. Now, as a sixteen year old student, I am still working to improve on my skills and pursue art as a career. I have been involved with Working Classroom in taking classes and creating public art, taken life drawing classes with local artist Leo Neufeld, won first place in the painting category for the 2014 Metro Youth Art Exhibit, and am currently working on an installation at the Albuquerque Museum for the Lead With Art Program with the lead artist Larry Bob Phillips.
I have a very distinct style and technique, and a lot of that comes from my childhood as well. I was surrounded by a lot of diverse religious iconography and I try to display sacredness in all things and create a paradox by depicting underlying heaviness through ethereality. The cigarette smoke caught in linen curtains. This fellowship could help me by letting me explore my options without as many boundaries as a lot of young artists have.