Winter 2024: Brenda Alvarez

Artist Statement:

I gather inspiration from watching my first-generation family excel in intellectually creative situations. Still, I recognize that economic obligations have hindered their potential for self-fulfilling jobs, such as in the arts. The reflective imagery showcases mostly distant remnants of fading comforts in conjunction with darker portrayals of transitional emotions. Taboo illustrations interest me, and I find ways to present them in elaborate approaches and limited color palettes.

Artist Bio:

Brenda Alvarez is a traditional artist originally based in Los Angeles and is currently studying for a B.A. in Fine Arts. Although her experimental work implements mediums, like wood work, sculpting, or fabric work, her subjective scenes of the human emotional experience are translated with a focus on generally vast media. 

Indulgently Sick, 2023, 20”x 31”, Acrylic

I need to feel the liberation of escaping past the heads that tempt and cloud our mind with habits of overindulgence. The exhaustive prospects of desirability during a globalized market compel a sense of urgency to be, and wash my personality with unnatural hopes of satisfaction. I am admitting and confronting the inconspicuous, over consuming, derailing, patterns that have woven themselves into the fabric of my daily existence. 

Family Abode, 2023, 12”10”, Acrylic

Stevenson Field, 2023, 12”x 10”, Acrylic

Chamber of Reflection, 2022, 11”x 15”, Acrylic

A sense of serene contentment envelops me as I observe the members of my grandmother's family perform their generational duty to the neighborhood. Each family member executes their role with such skill and dedication, contributing to the artistry of preserving our family's prosperity through the preparation and sharing of food.