Kristina Salinas

I am drawn to the female form. I am fascinated by the power of women. Another through line in my work is relationships with culture and environment, especially in South Texas given Latin/Hispanic culture. Cultural expressions are celebrated habitually through our daily practices. I see myself as a voyeur, looking in on culture. My paintings begin with a snapshot, taken first in my mind and then with my camera. I combine what I’ve captured to create each work. I aim to elevate an image into a micro-folklore. I hope to use portraiture as a vehicle for allegory. I do representational work, but I am not interested in precision. I exaggerate figuration, amplify color, saturation. While working, my mantra is: it is so because I made it so. I appreciate the materiality of paint. There is a language in its fluidity. In my recent work, I challenge myself to utilize the sculptural potential of paint. I would like to touch on the hiatus in my CV. I lost my mom to pancreatic cancer in 2007. As I lost her, I also felt the distinct loss of my dexterity. Upon completion of my projects, I stopped painting until Spring 2023. (You may notice that the self portrait in my portfolio focuses on my hands. This is a declaration that my hands are capable.) You see, I am now a mother myself. Furthermore, my daughter is now a kindergartener. I now realize that I’ve given myself permission to be creative as my daughter is the exact age I was when I did my first figure sketch. I believe my mom would be proud of me for coming full circle. I am empowered to see the happiness on my daughter’s face as she sees me work. I feel urgency to be in my studio for as many hours per day as my schedule allows. I am encouraged by my acceptance into the 2023 Seven State Biennial at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma as well as an earning invitations to national juried exhibitions. I feel very motivated, and I intend to continue on this path as I challenge myself in new ways.