About Vanessa
Statement from Vanessa
Since the beginning of my art career, materiality has been the cornerstone of my practice. After deciding to pursue art seriously in 2022, I spent the first couple of years expanding my use of materials beyond their intended functions to effectively convey the stories I share and the people I highlight through my art. While these materials have varied from hair clips to glass mirror pieces, the material I have recently grown particularly interested in further exploring has been fundamental to my creative journey — denim.
Through my current exploration of denim as a medium for Black portraiture, I am expanding the use of a material with significant historical implications in the United States; while this country isn’t its place of origin, enslaved African people are to credit for the production and resilience of what is arguably now an emblem of American fashion today. In response, I am reclaiming denim as a Black person and artist, meticulously cutting, layering, and adhering denim pieces together to depict people, while intentionally incorporating other materials and artistic mediums of cultural significance in my work. By doing so, I am reconstructing the narratives of the Black community both literally and figuratively and simultaneously exploring the layers of my identity and existence as an African-American and Panamanian-American woman.
As I expand on this assemblage technique to create multidimensional bodies of work, creating art that allows Black people to draw connections from their experiences remains constant. While doing so, I seek to broaden my understanding of denim, other materials, and practices that hold cultural and historical significance, like quilt-making, to create work informed by both the past and present. In this way, I am engaging in an art-making process that serves as an investigation of the past and present for myself in order to create art that, ultimately, highlights the innovation and multidimensionality of Black people across time.
Vanessa’s Biography
Vanessa Villarreal is a mixed-media fine artist based in Washington, DC, practicing primarily with denim scraps, second-hand materials, and acrylic paint.
Originally from Central Florida, her affinity for creating has been sustained throughout her life, practicing various mediums including sewing and painting, which is reflected in her current work. Vanessa’s pursuit of the arts came to a standstill for several years while earning her B.A. in Sociology from the University of Florida as a pre-med student. However, in December of 2021, she took a leap of faith and ended her master’s studies prematurely to pursue art full-time. Since then, she has exhibited her work in several galleries and exhibitions while operating a sustainable denim art business, Lion’s Den Creative. Her work has been featured in multiple publications, notably The Washington Post and Washington City Paper.
Through Vanessa’s current exploration of denim as a medium for Black portraiture, she is expanding the use of a material that has become an emblem of American fashion by way of enslaved African people. While reclaiming denim as a tool to celebrate Black people and their experiences, she’s committed to pushing her boundaries in the context of materiality beyond denim. She combines artistic mediums and materials of cultural significance to create multidimensional pieces that serve as her exploration and showcase of her identities, personal experiences, community, and the shared experiences of many Black Americans.
While creating works reflective of the beauty of her community and her identities is of great importance to her, she strives to be an active community member, serving and contributing in any way she’s called to beyond the canvas.
