My Curiosity Box
By Zaira Ramirez Luis
Fall 2020
Mixed Media
36″x62″x25″
Not for sale.
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.
Artist Bio:
Zaira Ramirez Luis (1987) is a Venezuelan multidisciplinary artist. Her first
inspiration was her Canary artisan grandfather who worked with an important
group of Venezuelan sculptors. Ramirez Luis is formally trained in film
photography from the Nelson Garrido Organization, attained her Graphic Arts
Diploma from the Cristobal Rojas School of Visual Arts and is in the final year
of completing her Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from the University of the
Fraser Valley (UFV). The UFV Visual Arts Collection acquired Ramirez Luis’
work, Letter to Venezuela in 2019, she is the recipient of the City of
Abbotsford’s 2021 Artist in Residency and has exhibited throughout Abbotsford
and Venezuela.
In her
photography work, she explores nostalgic feelings found in her environment, an
interest that was cultivated during her teenage years. Through this process,
she was able to explore her Canary islander and Venezuelan family traditions
with her series of photograms named Familia. While attending UFV, Ramirez Luis
delved even more into her dark room print processes, using techniques such as
Cyanotype and Van Dyke print. In this process, she developed her diaspora, Mode
of Life. This body of work juxtaposed her physical body in relation to the new
Canadian landscape as she navigated her relationship between the land and
nature, allowing her to narrate her feelings as an immigrant while using fish
as a symbol of the diaspora.
Ramirez Luis has called Abbotsford, B.C. home since 2014, and during that time
has continued her interest in narrative works and the duality of spaces.
Through this lens, she has created compositions of Canadian places. Recently,
one of her works, called Chilli-Onto, explores the fragmentation of Canadian
spaces between urban and agricultural landscapes.
Ramirez Luis
would like to thank Grace Tsurumaru and Alex Duff, for their kindness and
mentorship.
The Go Play Outside Artist in Residence Selection Committee was
unanimous in selecting Ms. Ramirez Luis as their 2021 artist. Her desire to
connect with Abbotsford residents and learn from their lived experiences while
exploring her relationship to the City, was a perfect fit for the Go Play
Outside program. Ms. Ramirez Luis actively engaged with residents as they were
drawn to her warm and inviting presence throughout the summer at the program
pop up events. Her interest in the community, her ability to connect with
people, and her open willingness to discuss arts and culture with all ages and
demographics of attendees was an immeasurable asset to her residency.
Follow Zaira Online:
Instagram: @zairawet