Camila Ramirez

anderson, SC

I am a female, first-generation Mexican artist, which means that people expect me to go into painting because it's a feminine medium, or they expect me to always bring my culture into my art. I've learned to push other's expectations to the side, and put myself first. I love creating Hispanic-inspired art because I have pride in that side of myself, but I also have so many other interests that factor into my art. My culture adds to my identity, but it doesn't define it.







I love working in metals and sculpture because the physical labor allows me to feel more connected to my work. I can look at a piece and feel accomplished as I recall the hours of hunched-over labor that went into its creation.







I like to play around with the idea of my identity through mixed media in art, and it allows me to create something beautiful out of my feeling of displacement with my identity. Creating art allows me to forget about any titles I might be tied to simply because of my identity. I like to challenge many things about myself as both an artist and person within my work. I have come to accept that I am a complex person which has led me to embrace my complexity through my art. My art is often complex though its media or process but, I have learned to love this about my work. I tend to challenge many things within my identity as complexity grows within my work. My identity has pushed me to create art that I want instead of the art that people expect from me.