Vianel Bonilla
I am a multidisciplinary artist whose practice centers on oil painting and on critical explorations of the female figure. My work investigates the construction of identity, the complexities of embodiment, and the persistent influence of the male gaze on visual culture. I draw influence from a diverse range of artists whose work illuminates different aspects of these concerns. Jamie Luoto’s engagement with themes of sexual trauma resonates with my own interest in confronting, deconstructing, and ultimately reclaiming different narratives. Michelle Doll’s attention to intimacy and human connection parallels the emotional registers I aim to invoke within my paintings. Additionally, the work of classical painters such as Francois Boucher and Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, I draw inspiration from their attention to beauty and form.
While oil painting remains my primary medium, I integrate acrylics, charcoal, pastels, and acrylic markers, to expand the material and conceptual language of the work. My process begins with a concept, followed by photographic references captured from myself and others. These references function as a critical framework rather than a prescriptive guide; on the canvas, I actively modify, distort, and reinterpret them through an underpainting that establishes the compositional and psychological structure of the piece.
At its core, my work seeks to reclaim the female figure as a space of agency and complexity, creating images that celebrate women's strength, vulnerability, and lived experience.
No comments:
Post a Comment