The inclusion of family dynamics, Hispanic culture, self-identity, societal beauty standards, disabilities, insomnia, and minority economic disparities are running themes within the paintings. Esmeralda Velasquez is a visual artist with a BA in Art Practice and a Minor in Art History from the University of California, Berkeley. Their work combines traditional easel paintings and mixed media painting exploration. Their paintings are large-scale, colorful, concise, structured, and include still-lives derived from family photographs. Either from albums or self-taken images. The paintings have borderline illustrative qualities and realistic qualities combining 2D and 3D perspectives. Some pieces have more narrative-forward stories while others derive from observational studies. The pieces are meant to be life depictions because it questions the visuality of museum representations. Latinx work does not need to have certain symbols or perspectives for it to be considered hispanic work.
The inclusion of family dynamics, Hispanic culture, self-identity, societal beauty standards, disabilities, insomnia, and minority economic disparities are running themes within the paintings. Esmeralda Velasquez is a visual artist with a BA in Art Practice and a Minor in Art History from the University of California, Berkeley. Their work combines traditional easel paintings and mixed media painting exploration. Their paintings are large-scale, colorful, concise, structured, and include still-lives derived from family photographs. Either from albums or self-taken images. The paintings have borderline illustrative qualities and realistic qualities combining 2D and 3D perspectives. Some pieces have more narrative-forward stories while others derive from observational studies. The pieces are meant to be life depictions because it questions the visuality of museum representations. Latinx work does not need to have certain symbols or perspectives for it to be considered hispanic work.
Esmeralda Velasquez is a visual artist with a BA in Art Practice and a Minor in Art History from the University of California, Berkeley. Their work combines traditional easel paintings and mixed media painting exploration. Their paintings are large-scale, colorful, concise, structured, and include still-lifes derived from family photographs. Either from albums or self-taken images. The paintings have borderline illustrative qualities and realistic qualities combining 2D and 3D perspectives. Some pieces have more narrative-forward stories while others derive from observational studies. A primary focus of the artist includes family dynamics, Hispanic culture, self-identity, societal beauty standards, disabilities, insomnia, and minority economic disparities.
The still life pieces are meant to be life depictions because it questions the visuality of museum representations when it comes to people of color. Latinx work does not need to have certain symbols or perspectives for it to be considered hispanic work. I strive to create work that is true to me and internally also reflects my community and my raza. We are all the same and different at the same time and that should be celebrated not categorized.
The artist is a first-generation Hispanic. She likes to refer to herself as Hispanic because she does not believe that Mexican is a label that defines her completely as she is half Mexican and half Guatemalan. Her goal is to blend her cultural background with her art practice by depicting still lives but also incorporating unique life experiences that should be depicted beyond words. This is emphasized by the saturated use of color which is such an important topic. The artist uses color because of its strong connotations with emotions and the response color produces when placed in public places. The use of bright colors is also very common in Guatemalan artisan shops that use bright striped colored cloths. She incorporates her other fields of medium experience such as ceramics, printmaking, and drawing into her final pieces. Mainly deriving the textural and theoretical aspects she learned through those mediums. The artist enjoys a well-flushed depiction of juxtapositions within her art and strives to incorporate ironic commentaries when possible. The artist also likes the use the name Artezie which is a combination of her favorite artist Artemisia Gentileschi and her own nickname combined.
Esmeralda Velasquez
Pronouns: she/her
2520 College Ave, Berkeley, CA 94704
esmeralda_24@berkeley.edu
https://sites.google.com/berkeley.edu/artezie/work
Instagram: @artezie2128
Born: 2001, Ventura, CA
Education
2024 BA Art Practice and Rhetoric, University of California, Berkeley
2024 Minor Art History, University of California, Berkeley
2022 Studio Art Associate Degree, Ventura Community College, Ventura, CA
2022 Art History Associate Degree, Ventura Community College, Ventura, CA
Group Exhibitions
2023 Group Exhibition, Nice Knowing You , Worth Ryder Gallery, Berkeley, CA
Fall 2023 Art Practice Pop-Up, Anthropology and Art Practice Building, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
Fall 2022 Art Practice Pop-Up, Anthropology and Art Practice Building, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
2022 Group Exhibition, Ojai Studio Artist Scholarship , Ojai Valley Museum, Ojai, CA
Creative Employment
2022-2024 Illustrator for Daily Californian Newspaper, Berkeley, CA
2022 Clay Club Logo and Design Illustrator, Berkeley, CA
Festivals and Public Events
2020 Art in The Park, public art venue, Libby Bowl, Ojai, CA
2018 “Heart and Sole”, American Heart Association, San Antonio Elementary School, Ojai, CA
Creative Commissions
2023 “Flower Vase,” painting, Berkeley, CA. Private Commission
2023 Huxlei Start-Up Logo Website Design, Berkeley, CA
2021 “Para Mis Papas,” 9.25 x 9.25” Graduation Cap, Ojai, CA. PrivateCommission
2021 “Tattoo Flower,” 8.5 x 11” original tattoo design of wildflowers, Ojai, CA. Private Commission
Awards and Honors
2023 Art Honors Program at the University of California Berkeley
2022 Ojai Studio Artist Scholarship
2022 Ventura College Art Scholarship
2021-2022 Award of Excellence 3D Design, Ventura College
2020-2021 Award of Merit Color and Design, Ventura College
2020-2021 Honorable Mention Ceramics, Ventura College