Jessica Alazraki: Intimate Gatherings
Jessica Alazraki celebrates her Mexican heritage and culture through vibrant paintings which reflect personal family narratives. In doing so, she invites the viewer to observe intimate moments between family members; eating dinner, celebrating a birthday, or seated together at the table. In this exclusive interview, Jessica gives us a glimpse into her creative process and journey.
Where do you find inspiration for your work?
My inspiration comes from Mexican arts & crafts. I love the vivid colors and the handmade quality, characteristic of all popular art, and I really like the decorative patterns found on the tablecloths in my paintings.
How has your work shifted and evolved over time?
I took classes with live models for many, many years. I learned anatomical drawing and figure drawing and painting. Still, I didn't consider myself a professional artist; I felt that I needed to find my voice and have an exciting subject matter beyond painting nudes and portraits. I really felt this way until I started my first-year studies of the MFA at The New York Academy of Art in 2015-2016. It was for a project in my Contemporary History Painting class that I decided to paint a large-format multi portrait painting starring Latinx people. It was then that I knew I had found my subject matter. It was huge! Since then, I have been exploring different ways to convey my vision. I think stylistically it has changed a lot because I have always enjoyed being expressive and bring character to my portraits with bolder strokes and open edges; that hasn't changed, but now I have included bold clean colors and flatten the spaces, and that has worked better for me. I also use tables as part of the composition, which lends itself to being more organic.
What does a typical day in the studio look like for you, and how has your art practice grown or changed?
I use oil paint and I am very direct. I like working with one painting at a time and usually I finish them fairly quick because I want to maintain a very raw quality to the work. Most of the time, my first strokes are the best one on that canvas. I start with a photographic reference that I want to use to get some information, a person I feel like capturing, a portrait that inspires me. I have a vague idea of what I would like to do in terms of narrative, but I like diving into it without much planning. I need to have something on there and see what happens. Sooner rather than later, I want to decide on the colors I will use because that changes everything, but most of the time that becomes the hardest part of all and changes the most! I really need the freedom of not planning.
Which experiences have impacted your work as an artist?
My work has a lot to do with my feeling as a Mexican immigrant and raising kids in this culture. I love living in NY; I consider it my home. It's a place where I can be myself and feel very free, but having grown up in a different culture with a different language also gives me another DNA, so to speak, that I want to celebrate in my paintings. Having the kids and my dog around all the time because of the pandemic makes me want to paint interior family narratives, especially now that I am painting from home and have spent more time here lately.
How has Instagram impacted your art career?
Instagram is an excellent tool for visual artists. It's a place where I can share my work, find open calls, and see what other artists are doing. I always find exhibitions in NY to go and check out and I discover artists' talks and lectures. I also think that the impact of seeing tons of contemporary art stays in your brain and creates an unconscious influence. The problem is, of course, that it’s amazingly addictive!
What are your future goals and aspirations?
I am hoping to get both residency grants and gallery representation in 2021. I am interested in selling my paintings at art fairs, but only bigger galleries participate in those. I continuously apply for grants, fellowships, and awards because I am looking for constant visibility and funds. In terms of residencies based in NY, I find that being part of a community and having the feedback and the enrichment programs are essential to every stage of my career. I also want to extend my network with more curators, have more studio visits, and create partnerships for new exciting projects!
Follow Jessica on Instagram: @jessicaalazraki1
Website: www.jessicaalazrakiart.com