Olivia Guerrero, 2020, 30″ x 40″, oil on canvas
Olivia Louise Guerrero – Artist Statement
I am a Studio Art Major at Stony Brook University. Before attending SBU, I’ve been a student at Suffolk Community College and the Fashion Institute of Technology. I primarily work as an oil painter, but I enjoy dabbling in acrylic painting as well as printmaking. I like to try to use art as a form of communication, because art contains more than just information. It allows you to see something from the perspective of another person, and I’ve always found that very appealing.
My work for this show is driven by my interest in ancestry and culture. A few summers ago, I took on the role of family historian. I’m a 13th generation New Yorker. Over the years, my family has involved people from many different countries of origin. My experience of culture isn’t about living in the same place my ancestors did. It’s about the place where those cultures met, and the ways in which they’ve intermingled.