Artist Statement: My piano design is of hair which is a major element I use in my creative work. Hair has always been an albatross for many women and its an icon of femininity that I feel all women can relate to its form of symbolism. As it is a symbol of idealistic and stereotypical femininity, I consider hair (as well as other objects) to be torture devices rather than the allure represented in these elements of vanity. Paired with their complimentary colors, the color scheme will consist mainly of pink and blue hues as a means to play with female and male polarities. I enjoy seeing how the value and intensity in one color placed in the foreground changes merely by having other background colors. Some colors seem to vibrate on a darker color while the same color softens the saturation on a lighter background. Moreover on a aesthetic level, its visually interesting to have a curvilinear design on a geometric form. The more I explore the surface area in relation to the nuances my design takes in very curve I draw, the more I am challenged in finding ways to marry the defined structure of the piano and the amorphous shapes in my design. Through my artistic work, I create my own women by highlighting supposed imperfections, and accentuating coveted physical attributes; such as hair. I intend my piano design to be an extension of the issues that are inherent in my thematic work.
Born and raised in the Bronx to Dominican parents, Vanezza’s upbringing was rich in color, pattern and imagination. Her life experiences as an Afro-Latina were filled with preconceived notions of femininity, which carried into her adulthood. Vanezza’s earlier work centered around her experience of what it means to be female, issues with our bodies, gender roles or events in her life. Growing up, representations of women in print became key in how she shaped my view of beauty. She started with collage and created illustrations of woman and psychological self portraits. Focusing on the female figure and other iconic symbols, her current work centers on ideas of beauty, body image, and femininity, which is heavily influenced on representations of women seen in print. Her work, constantly evolving, stems from a combination of pleasure, angst, and a critical view as participant and observer. A battle between experience and observation, themes of body image and what it is to be female will continuously be areas of mysticism, introspection and self analysis in her creative work. She creates a visual cacophony of a gluttonous female culture, which is imbued by who she is. With an early education in art and music, Vanezza graduated cum laude from FIT with a BFA in Graphic Design. After working as a graphic designer in the fashion industry, she then decided to pursue her MFA in Printmaking to combine her artistic abilities. With her experience as a teaching artist, her future plans include fostering growth in other artists by sharing what she has learned while continuing to improve upon her professional artistic practice. Her artistic passions lie in drawing, painting, digital work, binding books, creating collages, and other creative odds and ends. Preferred methods of work range from printmaking, painting, illustration, collage and graphic design.
