Today we’d like to introduce you to Maria Alquicira.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Sure! Well in general people think I’ve been doing this since forever but in fact I didn’t like art classes when I was a kid. All I wanted was to do sports (specially Tae Kwon Do), eat candies and reading books but my parents loved art so my time was equally invested in arts and sports. You know when your mom enjoys an activity so she enrolls you too? That’s kind of what happened.
Our professors were amazing but the only materials we had were charcoal and the typical fruit plate to copy (boring!). Eventually, I was moved to a plastic arts class, which I enjoyed greatly, but still not my favorite activity. I wasn’t a rebel so I made my best effort to excel in art classes. I didn’t though.
At that point, I was more interested in books and since my dad writes, well that’s what I wanted to do (didn’t excel here either). So painting was out of my life from an execution perspective but something I did enjoy was going to museums and art galleries. That helped me “train my eye” without necessarily painting. It was also an activity that helped me boost my relationship specially with two aunts, one of them an avid reader and the other one a professional painter (I admired her classical artworks and wanted to have a similar experience to study art abroad like she did in Paris).
So I wanted to study Art History but I didn’t wanted to live with my parents forever, therefore I studied International Relations. Still art was always part of my interest and for a summer, I worked at the Franz Mayer Museum in Mexico City. I guess I always had the idea that one day maybe I could combine what I was studying and art (maybe at an Embassy or a Cultural Counsel). Anyways, life is filled with the unknown and after living in India for a summer I found the job of my dreams which I was lucky enough to get three years after that experience at a movie theater company.
One day, while working in the entertainment industry, painting crossed my path again and weirdly enough people was interested in my art pieces and starting buying them. That’s when the existential crisis began and I left everything to study Art in Rome. It has been a roller coaster. A fun one.
Has it been a smooth road?
A roller coaster would be a good visual description. Often, we hear people encouraging us to “go out of our comfort zone”, but we barely pause to realize that it’s not something spontaneous. It’s a process, an intrinsic part of life just as adaptation and survival.
Studying different majors, collaborating in different projects, working on different fields, moving to different towns are processes that can make us feel lost but at the same time is an opportunity to question if that frustration is nurtured by society’s paradigms that people will do better by focusing solely in one thing. Specially in an environment called modern life which is the less predictable scenario.
Change means movement and movement means we are being brave enough to establish our objectives and humble enough to redirect our paths to achieve them. It means we are learning from the challenges we face while implementing our previous knowledge that is leading us to what I believe is the human’s ultimate goal; improvement.
I’ve learnt to be brave enough to set high goals and humble enough to redirect my path when things don’t work out (very difficult but worth it). I’ve learnt that there is no failure on trying but on being static. I’ve learnt to go out there and make mistakes, go back to my starting point if needed, make a pause, analyze, plan again and move forward. I’ve learnt to appreciate being “Jack Of All Trades, Master Of None”.
This phrase has resonated in me and is the best summary of my greatest lesson in the last couple of years.
Please tell us more about your art.
I believe that no matter which country we live in, there’s an issue we all face when trying to purchase art; it’s an intimidating world to first step in. Art in our daily life is more common than we think and still it can feel very distant.
The purchasing process is not making it easier; having guidance to find artists and styles we like while at the same time having affordable options can be a challenge. It has become a stressful process instead of an experience that should be highly gratifying. That is why I started this project.
Painting is the medium I’m using to ignite the curiosity of those who surround me, to make art part of the conversation and place it at the reach of everyone. Whenever a piece is chosen to be gifted to someone or to be placed in a special place at home, it is a win on the path to include art in everyone’s life.
Applying Abstract Expressionism techniques (feeling the 40’s and 50’s vibes) and studying the impact of female painters at the time, I work with oils and recently experiment with acrylics to create art pieces that challenge the viewer to connect with sentiments and reactions (which we don’t do very often) triggered by colors, lights, and shadows.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I moved to Dallas a year ago and I’ve been lucky enough to find myself in a constant discovery state of mind. One of the main things that caught my eye the first time I visited the city was all the art and cultural offers the city has. There are great museums, art galleries, concert halls and movie theaters. The walkable areas filled with trees feel like a Dallas embrace.
Pricing:
- Depending on size, mediums and customization, paintings can range from $300 to $1,000 USD
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mtalch16.
wixsite.com/alquicirafineart - Email: alquicirafineart@gmail.
com - Instagram: https://www.
instagram.com/ alquicirafineart/?hl=en
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