March is Women’s History Month, a time to celebrate the contributions of women throughout history. In this blog post, I’m shining a spotlight on five talented female art professionals who have left their mark on my art.
Lia Bermudez
Lia Bermudez (1930 – 2021) was a world-renowned Venezuelan sculptor, painter, and printmaker who made significant contributions to Latin American art. My first encounter with her work was a life-changing experience that occurred when I was a child. I accompanied my mother to her museum in the center of the city (Maracaibo), where I was not only impressed by Bermudez’s sculptures but also by the works of other international artists on display. It was in her Lia Bermudez art museum where I discovered my passion for art, and I have been inspired by her ever since.
Her work has encouraged me to experiment with different materials and textures in my own art. Moreover, her numerous awards and recognitions, including the Order of the Liberator Knighthood, an award from the University of Carabobo, and the National Prize of Plastic Arts of Venezuela 2006, among others, are a testament to her remarkable talent and influence in the world of art.
Joan Mitchell
Joan Mitchell (1925-1992) was an American painter and printmaker who worked in a variety of mediums, including oil on canvas, pastel on paper, and lithographic printing. She is widely recognized as one of the most significant artists of the post-war era and achieved significant critical and commercial success in her lifetime. Mitchell’s loose brushstrokes and vibrant use of color in her large-scale abstract expressionist works have inspired many, including myself. Her fearless approach to her art has motivated me to take risks and to be more experimental in my own work.
Her work captures the imperfections and complexities of life through remembered landscapes, feelings, and observations of the natural world. Mitchell’s legacy includes her remarkable body of work, her papers, and other archival materials related to her life and work. Her influence continues to resonate with many artists and art lovers today, including myself, as we continue to study and draw inspiration from her work.
Patricia Van Dalen
Patricia Van Dalen is a Venezuelan multimedia artist who has made significant contributions to the art world through her extensive body of work. Her work is heavily influenced by her social and political concerns, and often addresses issues of identity and human rights. She has produced multiple site-specific installations, some of them large-scale, and her interest in the intervention of architectural spaces is evident in her permanent works created for private residences in Venezuela and the US, as well as public murals in Caracas. Van Dalen has earned various awards throughout her career, including the Second Prize at the II Biennale of Visual Arts Christian Dior and the International Association of Art Critics’ 2010 Established Artist AICA Award.
As an abstract artist, Van Dalen explores in her work the poetics of structures through the fragmentation that affects form, line, surface, space, and color. Her work has inspired many, including myself. She was my mentor during a period of time where experimentation took me in so many directions that I needed help defining my vision. After working with her, I was able to finish my last solo show, which was about my identity as a gay man. I am proud to have been able to exhibit this work. Her work has encouraged me to use my art to explore social issues and to make a positive impact in my community. She regularly teaches workshops at her studio in Miami, online, and in educational and cultural institutions in Miami, which have helped many aspiring artists like me to develop their own vision and style.
Elsy Zavarce
Elsy Zavarce is a highly accomplished Venezuelan artist that curently live and works in Canada, professor, and curator. Her work spans across various mediums such as photography, painting, prints, and installations. What sets her work apart is her ability to reflect critically on the social and cultural context that surrounds her, exploring themes such as identity, social issues, urban sensibility, and cultural diversity.
Zavarce’s work is deeply personal, reflecting her experiences and memories as an immigrant, and she expresses her response in a critical and sensitive way. Her art statement emphasizes the importance of exploring how art can help us understand the complexity of contemporary culture and connect us meaningfully. As an artist myself, I find her work inspiring and a great example of the power of art to foster communities.
In addition to her artistic practice, Zavarce is also a dedicated educator and curator. During my time as her student, I learned the basics and important rules of composition under her tutelage. Her work continues to inspire me as an artist and her achievements and contributions in the academic and artistic fields are a testament to her talent and dedication.
Yi Chin Hsieh
Lastly, I would like to honor and express my gratitude to Yi Chin, the independent curator from Taiwan, who influenced my work and helped me to bring my vision to life. Her dedication to discovering new artists and art trends is truly inspiring, and her approach to curatorial practice as part of the art-making method has impacted my artistic perspective in a profound way. Throughout the process of creating my itinerant solo exhibition, “Sans Stereotypes,” Yi Chin was there to guide and support me every step of the way. She encouraged me to experiment with new ways of collaboration, and her emphasis on collectiveness in the process of producing a project was truly eye-opening.
Her vision for site-specific installations as a means of representing the spirit of her curatorial practice was perfectly aligned with the message I wanted to convey in my exhibition. Yi Chin’s passion for the arts, coupled with her willingness to work tirelessly to bring new artists and ideas to the forefront of the art world, is an inspiration to me and many others. Thank you, Yi Chin, for your dedication and commitment to the arts. You have truly made a difference in my artistic journey.
These women artists have left a lasting impact on my practice, and I hope their stories inspire you to continue creating and pushing boundaries in your own work. Happy Women’s History Month!