NY UNIVERSAL VISUAL ARTIST UPRISING
MICHAEL CASIANO
I come from Puerto Rican roots. I was born and raised in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. I've been expressing myself through art since I was a teenager. It wasn’t something I did consciously, it came to me naturally. I took a hiatus for 15 years and recently I began to feel a need to get back to my calling.
Since 2011, I have created over 200 pieces. I now feel light, at peace and happiness is overflowing. I feel whole again. This is my life and while sharing my spiritual vision, it puts me and others in a special place. As we look deep into my work, you will see truth in so many ways.
My first oil piece of an Aries ram was painted in 1990 and from that day forward I knew that was what I always wanted do; create what I believe in, using bright colors that stand out and attract to the eye. My creations on canvas are very spiritual to me and they tell a story with Native American influence and Taino Indian Heritage. I appreciate all that have supported me in the past and present… The Taino Way.
GABRIEL BUCHAMAN
I studied Illustration at Parsons, I'm a Native New Yorker whose paintings are heavily influenced by my childhood with my Guatemalan grandmother. I grew up in Washington Heights & I live now in Sunset Park Brooklyn. I paint this city, our city, with my life. I see the color in everything and I hope that when you see my art you feel what I felt and and get to experience the music, the energy, the color and richness of that life. Let us celebrate together.
LEA DIZON HYATT
My name is Lea Dizon-Hyatt, I kept my maiden name since I have a lot of work signed Lea Dizon. I started drawing as a child and always enjoyed drawing. I was not into painting until I attended college. I had a roommate that inspired me to be daring with colors. It took me a while to find my comfort zone with colors. I love vibrant colors and have been inspired by Michael Angelo, as a child and since then Freda Kahlo, Norman Rockwell, Vargas , John Singer Sargent. My life has had challenges and I haven't been able to paint on canvas in a very long time so my painting has been strictly windows. I have been exhibiting my art work on business windows for holidays for the last 15 years here . I have donated pieces of my work in New Mexico for "Aides Awareness" silent auctions prior to moving back here to New York City. I am looking forward to working with Michael and other artist. I believe this is the perfect time for me to start painting again and explore the world of exhibiting my work.
JENNIFER MATTHEWS
Born and raised in Brooklyn, I have been expressing myself artistically since my elementary years. By the time i went to college, with the help of my professors, i realized that painting is my language of expression. It has been the best way to express ideas I have about myself, life, truth and unconditional love. If my message can only be expressed verbally, then there would be no reason for me to paint.
I'm inspired by experiences of people in my environment as well concepts and styles from various artists and different forms of cultured Art. (i.e African paintings) My ideas and inspirations are also constantly changing. To express this change I do not limit myself to one medium, style or technique. Therefore, my approach varies from the use of Oils or acrylic to techniques ranging from impasto to palette painting. Many of my works feature the use of bright and warm colors with intention to evoke a feeling of serenity and love. Regardless, each decision depends on my inspiration at the moment.
Just as how my work urges me to want to know more about who I am; my truth, the truth about life, and unconditional love itself, my hope is for the artwork to speak to each viewer in a personal way and evoke questions from within about themselves, life and love from a natural and spiritual standpoint. Inevitably, the interpretation of the artwork is always left in the eye of the beholder.
GARY JEFFERSON
A native of Panama, Gary Gene Jefferson credits his frequent visits to Panama as his inspiration to become an artist. “My uncle Gladstone Lawrence was a professional artist. I would watch him work. He was always busy. I loved to spend hours reading all of the books in his library on art.” Jefferson attended Art and Design High School in New York City and received a scholarship to study at the School of Visual Arts in New York. He went to Panama where his first One Man Show was met with much success. A recent painting commissioned by an Anglican Church in Brooklyn was done for a children’s nursery. The painting entitled Holy Angel is almost life-size, and is his favorite to date. He paints in acrylic mostly, in figurative style and likes pen and ink, and figure drawing. Some of Jefferson’s former classmates were acclaimed artist and photographer Lorna Simpson, and artist and social activist Keith Haring. While in high school he began illustrating for Caribbean artist Lasana Sekou and participated in the first ever High School Art Auction during which record sales were made. In 2002, Jefferson accepted a position as Art Director for a fine arts magazine founded by Michael Valentine, an art collector and publisher. The experience put him in touch with artists with whom he interacted and represented. The magazine was produced from his apartment and published for several years. Currently, Jefferson designs book covers for an exclusive client, and hopes to do more of this for a varied clientele in the future. Artist’s Statement: “I realize there must be a voice to leave behind the legacy of our individual commitments as a people in society. “We survive to tell a story. I just want to tell my story in my work. To tell of my love story with Panama – the country of my birth.”
KRYSTLE DAWN
FRANK SEGUI
My name is Frank Segui, Born and raised in Brooklyn, as a child I was always artistic, starting out with pencil sketchings, pastels, and acrylics. I never studied art, I just did whatever my heart desired artistically. I started getting back to painting a few years ago after years not picking up a pencil or brush. My current passion is mainly oils. I paint as a hobby and is very calming for me to lose myself into creating each piece. Artistically I like my work to reflect my Puerto Rican/Spanish heritage.
NATHAN BUNCE
As a young child I took interest in many forms of arts. One of those forms is visual arts. Like many artists I created my own portfolio in hopes to build recognition of my work. My interest hit it's peak in high school when i took graphic design, advertisement design and modern art. This allowed me to further sharpen my skills and join "Studio in the school" arts program.
With "Studio in the school" I started a career in teaching visual arts to preschool and school aged children at Brooklyn Bureau of Community Service. I went on and continued teaching at Beacon after school programs, YMCA, and currently the "New York Junior Tennis and Learning" created by Arthur Ashe.
My personal work is inspired by culture, activism and everyday life. Sculpting and mask making has been a new add to my medium of art and creativity. For four years I have developed the skill of creating vejigante masks. The vejigante masks has made it's debut at the annual Sociedad Cultural Mayaquezana beauty pageant. They also has been a fixture of the Bombe y Plena group "Orgullio Taino".
My purpose in my art is to inspire my students as I have been inspired by others. I want to create a voice seldom heard on a pillar for change, education and quality of life issues.
JOSEPH HASAN FALERO
I grew up in Brownsville Brooklyn in the 80s, during a time when my neighborhood was struggling with gang and other crime problems. Sports offered a way for me to gain respect and I naturally excelled, earning a football scholarship towards college. I then began to pursue a degree in Criminal Justice at John Jay College. I was drawn to investigations, and research, but most passionate about art. I received his Bachelor of Science from John Jay College and began to paint, using the same fascination with the unknown that guided my former studies.
I then joined the Harborview Community Center art program, where other NYCHA artists, like Ellie Soto, helped me develop and advance my artistic skill. These days, I am always painting. I work in my apartment, in a shared studio and at the Harborview Community Center. The neighborhood kids and community members are an integral part of my practice, and I have explored many new styles and projects as an assistant teacher in Harborview. With my help, many of the children have produced award-winning works for the NYCHA Art Show. I try to give them an opportunity to paint and draw whatever they feel like – whatever it is they imagine and see. In class, I often show famous portraits and asks the children to re-create them. The classes are also working on a series of large-scale banners. In one class, the residents and I combine screen printed images and paint to depict the larger community of NYCHA artists. I use art to translate the unknown world into a personal system of signs, images, and colors. In one painting, I combine the biblical mythology of Enoch into the landscape of the dark side of Mercury. My paintings often include pieces of scientific knowledge or historical details that show a collage of personal understanding. “Drawing is like being lost in space,” I always say, “I imagine myself in different parts of the universe.” Art gives me an unconfined place to ask questions, like, “Where did I come from?” I return from these unknown with innovative connections. My paintings are proof of my imaginative power.