Devotion to Nature

Artist Statement:
Zaira Ramirez Luis was honored to be selected as the 2021 Go Play Outside Artist in Residence, a partnership of the City of Abbotsford and the Abbotsford Arts Council. Through this program, Ramirez Luis’ primary goal was to learn about BC birds and their interactions with residents of Abbotsford. Thanks to those warm conversations, she developed a series of paintings and assemblages titled Devotion to Nature. The exhibition Devotion to Nature explores concerns about the city, nostalgic feelings, and current events that happened before and after the Artist in Residence program.

“In those conversations, I found most people expressed concerns of how new constructions and agriculture exploitation are reducing green space areas and nature”

Devotion to Nature contains a series of paintings depicting concerns exposed by Abbotsfordians. Ramirez Luis, in response to those concerns, created a series of assemblages representing nature’s generosity and what it offers us. The intention of her artwork is to encourage the viewer to protect natural resources, recognize that Abbotsford needs to adopt sustainable agriculture practices, and value and conserve green spaces (gardens) that beautify the city.