Nela Garzón is a multidisciplinary visual artist mostly working in painting but with a profound interest in exploring other media inspired by traditional crafts and cultures from all over the world. Born and raised in Bogotá, Colombia, she obtained a Bachelor’s of Visual Arts from the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana on 2004. In Colombia she worked as a freelance artist and took part of national exhibitions such as the 12 Salón Regional de Artistas, 41 Salón Nacional de Artistas and the 4to Salón de Arte Bidimensional. She has worked in different fields of the arts for more than 10 years; working in art direction, photography, illustration, graphic design and teaching. She immigrated to the U.S. on 2010 after marrying an American and on 2012 they settled in Houston where she currently lives and works. Her art has been shown around the U.S. in Brooklyn, Atlanta, Kansas City and Houston on January of 2019 she was the 1st place award recipient of the Assistance League of Houston Texas Art Show curated by Jennie Goldstein, Assistant Curator of the Whitney Museum of American Art and on April of 2020 she was selected as one of the LIFTS recipients grant and two of her works were added to the West Collection located in Philadelphia, PA
Garzón’s art explores the importance of identity and the transgression of acculturation, it encompasses topics such as: colonialism, racism, social injustice, immigration, the American dream and human behavior amongst others. We encounter in her work hybrid cultures and a mix of traditions and modernism as a critical outcome of ethnocentrism and modern societies. Folk art, handcrafts, beliefs and customs from around the globe are her subject of research and admiration, she appropriates and modifies them using satire as one of the key added elements, to send a message about the side effects of globalization and capitalism. Her goal is to create awareness about the importance of traditional cultures and crafts and to promote cultural pride in minorities and acceptance from everyone.
