Naomi Alba-Alonso
The theme that my body of work explores is identity and self expression, for which I wanted to see the different perspectives one could take and what I could produce from them. The artworks I choose to display, I believe best represent the different directions I explored. In the center of my display I have Encased Vigilance (bottom) and A Sky of Wishful Fish (top). I choose these two to be in the center so the viewer would start with the pieces that take a more broad view on my theme. A Sky of Wishful Fish with its vibrant colors is intended to be a lighthearted and positive message to the viewer, symbolizing the action of pursuing one’s happiness and dreams. Which is why it has a more cartoonish and fantasy approach. Underneath this piece, is Encased Vigilance which provides a stark contrast to my previous artwork. This piece instead portrays a more negative approach of my theme. The piece overall represents the negative repercussions of being an individual within a forever judging society.
Following to the top left from the center is Masked Identity and to the far bottom right is Behind the Scenes. I choose to have them on opposite sides so as to give my display balance because of the duller and cooler tones both pieces have compared to the warmer tones of my other artworks. These artworks take a more current approach to my theme and address the current pandemic. Masked Identity is intended to address the wearing of a face mask aspect of not only the pandemic but Caifornia’s infamous forest fires that were occurring at the time. The other piece, Behind the scenes is intended to be more lighthearted and a bit comical.
To the top right and bottom left are, respectively, The Alien in the Mirror and Shattered. These pieces take a more personal approach, both being heavily inspired by my personal background and memories. Being of mexican descent, I decided to address certain experiences that people like me could relate to. The piece The Alien in the Mirror is my take on how I feel about the term “Alien” and how it portrays people as inhumane, dangerous or a threat to others. Shattered is meant to show the separation of immigrant families as more than just another news story, but as the very real and emotional experience it is to those families.
Shattered
Naomi Alba-Alonso
Mix Media
30 cm x 33 cm
July 20, 2020
My artwork is inspired by the artist Geri Montano and like her I use my personal experiences to speak about issues about people of my heritage. Immigrant family separation is a common issue and my artwork aims to bring attention to this issue. By fragmenting the artwork I aim to give the image the feeling of being broken, the multiple colors aim to show that this issue affects a large variation of people.
The Alien in the Mirror
Naomi Alba-Alonso
Acrylic Paint
30 cm x 40.5 cm
August 7, 2020
This artwork was inspired by Edel Rodriguez’s piece “Strangers” and my own personal experiences. My artwork is a play on the term “alien” and it’s usage towards immigrants to make them seem as a threat and potential danger to others. I use warm colors for the mother and child to portray a warm and family friendly feeling, while using cool colors for the mirror and aliens to give them a more foreign and unfamiliar feel.
Masked Identity
Naomi Alba-Alonso
Digital Artwork using IBIS paint X
768 pixels x 1024 pixels
October 1, 2020
Recently wearing a face mask has become a large part of our daily lives. Whether it be because of the ever burning forest fires or because of the pandemic, wearing a face mask seems to have become part of our identity and that is what my artwork aims to portray. Inspired by Eduardo Kobra's unique kaleidoscope style, the boy in the face mask becomes the center of attention, just like how protecting our health has become our center of importance.
Encased Vigilance
Naomi Alba-Alonso
Ink and Watercolor
30 cm x 22.5 cm
November 18, 2020
For this artwork I took a different direction with my theme of Identity and self expression. At least once in life a person will experience the pressure and judging eyes of peers or society. Uniqueness can be criticized and feel entrapping and isolating. In my artwork, I try to capture this feeling of pressure and isolation by using mainly black and grey with the exception of the yellow figure, which represents the unique individual.
A Sky of Wishful fish
Naomi Alba-Alonso
Digital Artwork using IBIS paint X
768 pixels x 768 pixels
October 31, 2020
With the fast paced and stressful lives most people live, it can be easy to forget about one's dreams, hopes and wishes. But it is important to remember that taking a break is necessary and to chase your own happiness is perfectly acceptable. In my artwork, the glowing fish symbolizes these dreams and wishes that we look up to. The child symbolizes that it is never too late to chase those childhood dreams.
Behind the Scenes
Naomi Alba-Alonso
Color pencil and ink
24.5 cm x 23 cm
January 22, 2021
While living through a pandemic, it is easy to feel stressed, overwhelmed and only see the negatives. With my artwork I aim to look at the social distancing aspect of the pandemic but in a more light hearted and fun manner. We have come to adapt to find new ways of communicating and in the process express ourselves differently. Most would be lying if they don’t admit there is more going on then what the camera captures and in my artwork I am to capture that scene.