Today we’d like to introduce you to Esther Gámez.
Esther, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I’ve always had an intense interest in observing and drawing everything around me, I guess this developed naturally into a craft and something I wanted to keep doing every day, so I majored in arts, with a minor in etching, and even though I do not work in etching as much as I once did, I think it helped me develop my drawing skills a lot more.
I think visual arts are my natural language, it’s how I feel most comfortable expressing my opinions on any given subject. It gives you a space to say something without being imposing. No matter what you put out there, your viewers will always have their own interpretation and their own way of processing what you are saying that is sometimes not possible with other art forms.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
My work is mostly figurative. I really like to draw in an almost scientific manner, I grew up admiring the botanical illustrations in my natural sciences books and I think those ultimately were my strongest influence in my visual style. I have two “lines” of work that I mostly dwell in -Personal pieces- and -Public art and commissioned illustrations -.
On my personal pieces I like to deal with themes that are more intimate and subtler, I deal with emotions, with my own struggles and feelings and just dealing with being a Mexican woman artist in this time and age. I watch the women around me and also draw on their experiences on motherhood, on their own struggles with tradition and cultural barriers. On my personal work I like to experiment and mix straightforward graphite drawing with more expressive techniques such as collage, gestural painting, installation and ephemeral media.
On the other hand I work murals and public art, These have a more graphic style and are more formal on the media aspect, I like to work with acrylic and brush, I stay away from spray paint as much as I can (if the surface allows) and I try to Evoque almost a linework tattoo style also reminiscent of the scientific illustrations I so love.
On my public work I have chosen more environmental themes, again, drawing from nature: endangered species, native plants, water. I believe in the power of public art as a form of education and inspiration, I have seen how it moves people and I feel a responsibility to use a wall in this manner, I stay away from the personal themes in these works because so far I have worked on spaces that are central to a specific community and I choose to depict something that may be more relevant to more persons than to center on an emotion that may be felt by only a few.
This two lines for me are complimentary and I feel very lucky to have the opportunity to be able to do them both. It is also sometimes a challenge because the current art market likes to put artists in boxes, and they very often don’t think I’m a “fine artist” because I do murals or illustration, and likewise, I may be left out of being promoted as a muralist of public artist because I have a lot of gallery pieces. However, I think I can’t do just one, I feel a bit snobbish if I only do gallery pieces for a long time, but I also need that outlet for my intimate stuff. For me, it’s a matter of personal balance, and I hope people can see that and can understand that artists should be able to move between styles and markets because it gives us a chance to explore and grow.
What would you recommend to an artist new to the city, or to art, in terms of meeting and connecting with other artists and creatives?
Yes, it’s lonely work! My thing is to also curate shows and organize collective exhibitions or workshops for and with other artists. I think working on a common goal or subject can connect you with not only other artists, but activists and other members of the community that may be in the same boat or are also looking to connect. I am lucky to live in a very small but vibrant community such as Ensenada, we have a lot of cultural life and most artist know each other.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
I love doing murals and shows with a theme or a curatorial line, I haven’t shown a lot in the San Diego area so I’d love to get invitations to show or paint there. I also do commissions (fine art, illustration and mural) it’s a great way for me to support myself in between shows or while I’m doing a public work that may take up a lot of time and is sometimes pro bono or for a cause (meaning it doesn’t pay too much hehe) Sharing on social media is also a very nice way to show some love for any artist that you may admire, exposure gets us visible, and thus we can get more work, more invitations, and more friends.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://esthergamez.tumblr.com
- Phone: +52 (646) 1608848
- Email: esther.gamez@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/negricita/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/esthergamez.artista/
Image Credit:
Miguel Mayoral
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