I am an artist who emigrated from Colombia to USA in 2000. Being an immigrant is a challenging experience. From the moment you step into a foreign land with no return ticket, you know life as you know it is over. It is scary and exciting at the same time. Everybody has different ways to adapt to a new culture. Some do it through work, some fall in love, some look for others alike and live in a bubble, and some of us do it through art.
The first two years were a roller coaster. I missed my family immensely and it was frustrating not to understand the language, and I had to deal with odd jobs from cleaning in a department store, to selling shoes in a small shop - Never mind that in my native country I worked as the imports director of one of the largest chemical brokers in Colombia. There were many tears, but at the same time I was mesmerized with all the new things that were unveiling at a constant fast speed. I was exposed to people from all over the world, all kinds of foods and flavors were offered, I could hear music I never knew existed, I found a great guy who is now my husband, learned the language and still, something was missing.
I knew exactly what I needed. I needed to make art, so I did, and from then on everything changed. It is through art that I finally made my way in this country. I started attending art openings and social events that little by little ignited a sense of belonging to that scene, the New York art scene. Most of my friends now are artists, curators, art collectors, art historians and anything art-related. Art has taken me to many places, from sex shops to churches where my paintings have been exhibited, and from New York to San Antonio where AnArte gallery represents my work. I never anticipated all the doors that art would open, and I never imagined that art would find me a new home.
