The Rising Artist February 2015 | Page 6

21st Century Portraiture: l i li Portraits have changed over the years. From the initial setting of an artist painting his subject, to the invention of the camera, and now the cell phone. It is not hard to see how popular the "selfie," taking a picture of oneself with a phone or other camera, has become as a mode of self expression in the modern age. One artist, Nayda Cuevas, began three projects to explore the expression of self-identity and cultural issues by recreating selfies as small painted portraits. #InBetween2Worlds 1 of 11 3"x5" Oil on Wood Panel Self Portrait of Nayda http://naydacuevasart.com/ Nayda Cuevas "We are all born into this world with a history." Born in Puerto Rico, Nayda and her parents moved to Florida when she was ten years old. Being an immigrant in America sadly comes with discrimination, prejudice, and stereotyping. "As a means of negotiating alienation and the absence of familiar people and place, I turned to the arts to explore my identity." It was through this turn that Nayda unearthed a visual language that allowed her to articulate her observations and interpretations of her Latino American experience: Portraiture. #WhatLatinosLookLike 6 of 10 3"x5" Oil on Wood Panel 18