Today we’d like to introduce you to Bianca Gargicevich Almeida.
Bianca, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I have been a lifelong artist – my passion began at a very young age with drawing/painting on the walls of my childhood home as a toddler, and thankfully my parents encouraged me to continue to explore that creativity! I was known as the the “little artist” of the family – my passion for art continued throughout my life, and becoming a full-time artist was always the dream, though seemed unattainable. Right as I was finishing my business degree at USD with a plan to enter the corporate world, I discovered the world of live event painting and there was an overwhelming feeling in my gut that this was the right next step for me. While becoming an independent artist has always been the dream, the live event painting industry presented itself as a wonderful way to make a living while doing what I love. I feel it is important to note here, as well, that I truly love people – by that I mean my parents are both from South America (Argentina and Brazil) and growing up I was always exposed to people of all kinds of cultures. You could always count on me as a child to talk their ear off, as I just loved connecting with people and still do! So now, I get to combine my love for making art, connecting with people from all kinds of backgrounds, and celebrate special moments in this special way. Now, I pursue my art full-time – painting live for special events, weddings, and corporate events while also pursuing my independent artwork. Currently, I am working on fulfilling a genuine lifelong dream of mine, to have my own art show – which is happening on August 7 & 8th at The Sinclair on G Street in downtown San Diego! It is truly a surreal feeling to know that listening to that gut feeling has truly brought me my dream career.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Pursuing art, and creative endeavors of any industry, takes a certain level of grit. Every ounce of logic tells you that it is unrealistic to succeed in these fields without being born into an environment that is well-connected to the art world already. For myself, my parents immigrated to the U.S. in their 20s, I would not say I was born into a situation of abundant established connection within the art industry, but I will say I was born into a situation of immense opportunity merely by proximity, being in Southern California. As a child of immigrants, I feel there is an inherent pressure that your parents essentially sacrificed so much for you to have the opportunities available to you that you do, so you ought to make it worth it. A responsibility that stems not out of guilt or pressure, but out of love and gratitude. For me, this responsibility runs deeper – by growing up here, we all essentially lost the experience of getting to grow up with our cousins and grandparents nearby, we lost direct access to something that is central to our culture – family. So, as that price has already been paid, I absolutely will not take the opportunities that my environment provides for granted.
Another aspect that influenced my direction is my experience with Gastroparesis (GP), a chronic illness of the stomach. Throughout high school and college, I was frequently sick. At one point during college, I had to step away from multiple job opportunities due to the fact that my body simply could not manage, and I was unable to work due to sickness, often. Listening to my body became crucial to regulate this years-long flare of constant sickness, and try to stabilize my nervous system. Even amidst the worst of things, painting always had a meditative effect on me, it silenced the noise, the pressure, the worry… it made me feel at peace, especially during a time when that feeling was otherwise rare. Pursuing my art was more than a passion, it truly felt like the right decision for my health, too. As I made the transition from my previous job(s) to art, I also was making major progress in managing my GP symptoms. It felt like not only did this path align with my lifelong dreams, it was healing me in the process. I used to think corporate occupations would provide stability and assurance, which would mean less stress overall. Now, even though pursuing my art does come with a considerable amount of facing the unknown, I would rather take that chance every day when it means I have my health, my joy, and my peace.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I specialize in fine arts, primarily painting. My current pursuits are live event painting, and establishing myself as a young, independent artist. While art is my practice, I feel like the core of my work is centered around appreciation – for people, for the world, for the magical little moments that happen constantly, all around.
In my live painting, I am most proud of the ability to connect with people on these special occasions, and to bring such joy to others while simultaneously feeling that joy myself. While a deep commitment to improvement and refinement of my skill is essential for what I do, I honestly believe what makes these experiences so special is that I truly care. I put my all into these experiences because I recognize the power of intention – the little things are really the big things at the end of the day. It’s those little moments that you carry with you forever, that you wish you could experience just once more once the time has passed, that make you feel.
I believe what sets me apart is my compassion; I see people, I mean really see people, as individual beings that have their own world of passions, sorrows, experiences, hardships. I appreciate them sharing the moments we share, and I care for others as much as my heart can take, and then some. This radical compassion is hard to find in my experience; we operate in spaces full of competition, comparison, and individual focus. We live in a world that is overflowing with acts of hatred, and reasons to fear what is to come of it all. We put ourselves in a position of vulnerability when we operate from love, and that feels dangerous. Even still, I believe there is so much good to be found in the world, and I intend to contribute to that goodness with my time here. Creating moments of meaning, of reflection, of feeling seen just because you have the ability to is the most pure act of rebellion against hate in my eyes. Radical love, radical compassion – it won’t heal the world but it will heal something in someone, and that’s what we are here for.
Art is my vehicle, my form of expression, and a tangible way I can document these fleeting moments. Most artists are not widely-known or widely-loved in their lifetime, most art is not truly appreciated until long after the maker has come and gone. Even within small circles, the art someone has made suddenly becomes infinitely more valuable, and sentimental, once that person has passed away. Why? I think we as a society take creation for granted, and I think AI is only drastically furthering that sentiment among the general population. For most, it is a difficult concept to grasp that one would choose a creative pursuit that does not have a guaranteed ladder of status to climb, or the assurance that your hard work will pay off monetarily. The artist, the true artist, simply must create to survive. We carry emotions so heavily, we see the world with so much appreciation even in the most minuscule of levels, that we have to get it out or our hearts will burst. The art is in the process of sitting with those feelings and translating them with your hands, the art is not the artwork itself, but all of the decisions and moments of reflection that are documented in the creation of that artwork. The artist sees the magic in choosing creation, just for the sake of creating.
What’s next?
I am most looking forward to my first solo-show this August, titled ’23’, as a sort of stepping-out into the industry as an independent artist. The steep majority of the art to be shown has never been seen before, and the planning process has been a labor of love. My works are primarily contemporary art pieces, with elements of both realism and abstract expression. I am investing heavily into myself and into setting the right tone with my first show – a tone of intention. My goal is to present my independent art to the world, and to share a meaningful experience with as many people as I can, so I can establish an authentic basis for the rest of my career. The purpose of my show is not sales, but rather an experience for my guests; not all artwork will be available for purchase, and each element of the event has been carefully curated with the participant in mind.
I titled the show ’23’, in reflection of the way my life experience shapes my work, as for every artist; the art I make now, at 23 years old, will not be the same as the art I make at 30, or 60, or 90 years old. My life experiences will continue to shift my values and inspirations, I will simply care more about different things as I age. I will experience new forms of magic, and overtime I will see the continuity across collections while also getting to reflect on the change and growth along the way. My plan is simple – to continue to document the ever-changing human experience for the rest of my life.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.artbybiancaga.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artbybiancaga
- Other: Email: info@artbybiancaga.com
