Beatriz Vasquez
Beatriz Vasquez
About Me
I am a daughter of Mexican parents and Spanish Grandparents; my desire to create is innate and derives from a long line of artisans and craftsmen. Working with my hands has always been important to me; I learned the skill of cooking, gardening and sewing at an early age. I was born in Brownsville, TX, but grew up in Matamoros, MX. After high school I moved to Indianapolis, IN. where I attended IUPUI, and received my BFA from Herron School of Art and Design.
My Art
I have been cutting paper since 2009, after graduation, my focus was primarily in children’s book illustration and painting. I found myself competing with other local artists that were much better in those mediums, which encouraged me to reinvent my skills as an artist. In 2009, I traveled to Matamoros, MX to reconnect with family and to do extensive research on indigenous Mexican crafts. My research took me to Monterrey, MX where I rediscovered the art of papel picado or paper cutting. I hadn’t realized it before then, but it had always been a part of me, it was all around me, in the markets, churches, fiestas, and in my childhood memories. Papel Picado is a form of tissue paper cutting mainly used for celebratory religious themes and festivities. Papel Picado is and has been an indigenous craft for centuries in South America and Mexico. After learning the traditional method of making papel picado, I began a journey to innovate the art. I began cutting paper, any and all kinds of paper grade, colors, textures and sizes. Paper became my obsession.
I taught myself to cut using an exacto knife as if it were a pencil; I never outline any of my designs for fear of leaving pencil marks. My designs flow directly from my mind’s eye onto the paper itself. My work has journeyed into the fashion world, where I have created wearable paper art, from eyelashes to evening gowns.
Just recently, I have returned to creating children’s book illustration with incorporation of paper cut designs within each page. Many of my stories are of my own childhood, growing up on the border towns of Texas and Mexico. These cut out stories will be the focus of my upcoming solo show in the University of Orlando in Florida in June of 2015.
