Meet Aixa Oliveras

Today we’d like to introduce you to Aixa Oliveras.

Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. When I was nine years old, my parents divorced and I moved with my mom and brother to Florida. It was also around that time that my artistic inclination started to show itself. Before this, I was thinking of becoming a doctor, so it was very much a surprise to both me and my family that I was leaning towards art! In my senior year of high school, I moved back to Puerto Rico to live with my father. It was here where I received my BFA in Painting from the School of Plastic Arts and Design of Puerto Rico.

At the same time that I was getting my degree, I also took classes with the artists Luis Borrero and Amber Lia-Kloppel at what is now known as Atelier San Juan. It was here that I learned the foundations of representing the human figure in art and traditional methods of drawing and painting. During this time I was included in group shows both in Puerto Rico and the United States. After working as a professional artist in Puerto Rico for nearly ten years, I decided to take the plunge and go for my MFA in Painting at Laguna College of Art and Design. I’m currently in my second year of graduate school and will graduate in May of next year.

Please tell us about your art.
I paint in order to process the events of my life. My preferred medium is oil or charcoal. I find that oil painting has an organic and sumptuous quality that complements my work. In terms of style and subject matter, my artwork has undergone a transformation during the past year. My artistic focus has always been geared towards depicting the human form, usually with a psychological narrative. But where before I was exploring ideas in a general way, now I feel that there is more focus and intention in my work.

Currently, I’m exploring the themes of death, rebirth, and the female experience. These themes are partly influenced by the events of last year, namely the hurricane that so drastically affected Puerto Rico and also personal losses and changes that I experienced. The change manifested itself in the choice of colors, the use of pattern, and the way that I chose to depict the human form. Ultimately, my goal as an artist is to transform my personal experiences into a symbolic narrative that others can relate to, transmuting the personal into universal themes that speak to our shared humanity.

Do you have any advice for other artists? Any lessons you wished you learned earlier?
Finding a mentor helped me immensely in my artistic progress. I would advise artists that are beginning in their careers to find a mentor that is compatible not only artistically but in terms of personality. The right mentor can really help in your growth as an artist.

Also, another bit of advice that I find especially relevant now (with the over-saturation of social media in our lives) is to not compare your work to other artists. Everyone has their own path and progresses at different rates. Look at the art that others are doing not as a negative on your own work, but as incentive to keep going, to keep learning. It may sound cliché, but the quote does speaks the truth: “comparison is the thief of joy.”

One thing that I wish I had learned earlier was about the business side of art. There isn’t one sure-fire method on how to make a living as an artist. There are many options, and as it turns out, your creativity is needed in this aspect as well. That’s something that I wish I could have learned about earlier in my career.

How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
You can find my work on a variety of channels: through my website at aixaoliveras.com or on my Instagram (aixa_oliveras). I also have a Facebook page – Aixa Oliveras Fine Art. I’m currently the most active on Instagram. There you will find not only images of finished work, but also photos and videos of works in progress. I also have work available at Abend Gallery in Denver, Colorado, as well as in my studio.

People can support my work not only through buying one of my pieces, but also by following me on social media, commenting and sharing my work, and overall engaging in a fun conversation about art. If you would like to purchase one of my pieces, you can contact me at aixa.oliveras@gmail.com. But I find that apart from the monetary aspect, engaging in ideas and conversation is very helpful and supportive! Creating art can often times be a solitary activity, so it’s very refreshing to sometimes step out of the studio to receive feedback on one’s work or even just talk about random things experienced that day.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.aixaoliveras.com
• Email: aixa.oliveras@gmail.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/aixa_oliveras
• Facebook: facebook.com/aixaoliverasfineart

Image Credit:
All images are original artworks by Aixa Oliveras.

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