"Innocence is Bliss" 2022

25 x 40 in.
Oil paint on Canvas

Venezuela, the country that birthed, raised, and overlooked me, bitterly. It has been five years since I left my country and learned what it is to let go of a piece of yourself. My goal was to capture the splendor and truth of my native nation, encompassing both its remarkable and unpleasant locales. I wanted to use both organic and geometric shapes while combining expressionism and surrealism, further including mixed media altered by me. Instead of focusing on physical reality, I used the components of this artwork to convey the essence of my emotional experience.

The image of me at age 6 captures the naiveté and innocence of a young child when everything appeared scintillating, and how I still recall everything from my childhood with such vividness. The hand clutching the heart represents what it means to take your hope-filled heart with you everywhere you go and tear apart a piece of yourself to be somewhere else. My goal was to raise awareness about this painting and, more importantly, reveal such an important part of myself.