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 work. 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, using it to empower and celebrate Black people, our experiences, and our resilience, like that of denim. By meticulously cutting, layering, and adhering denim pieces together to depict real-life people, I've discovered a unique way to reconstruct the narratives of the Black community that incorporates aspects of our history.
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 aim 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, both the process and result will convey a story that, ultimately, highlights the innovation and multidimensionality of Black people, myself included.
Vanessa’s Biography
Vanessa Villarreal is a mixed-media fine artist based in Washington, DC, practicing primarily with acrylic paint and denim.
Originally from Central Florida, her affinity for creating has been sustained throughout her life, practicing various mediums from sewing to painting, as 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, combining materials and techniques with cultural significance to create multidimensional pieces.
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.
