An artist named Monica Hernandez defied the lemmings by taking up the career of a painter. The 23-year-old Dominican-American goes about painting female figures engaged in their daily routine. The artist has tried to pour out the internal struggle of an immigrant through her paintings. The budding star has earned over 130k followers on Instagram and posed for various brands.
Passion is the pill of internal tranquility. It soothes you pricked souls by bestowing some moments of bliss. But not everybody has the might to pick it up over the vibrant treasure of pennies. Only some go around circumventing the social and cultural barriers to secure their stance. One of these souls is Monica Hernandez.
Life has not been a bed of roses for Monica. She had to leave her native home to accompany her parents to the Bronx at the age of six. Thus, she was well-aware of what struggle meant. Her parents wanted her to live a life full of comfort. So they coaxed her to make a career in science- either a doctor or a scientist. However, Monica’s heart was pounding for something else. Her eyes used to stick at the pulchritude of shades. Sensing the importance of a secured livelihood, she turned to take art classes.
Taking on that part, she shared, “As an immigrant, I felt I needed to find something sustainable, that guarantees a livelihood. But I hated my classes, so I started taking art courses”.
Respecting the fears of her parents, she did her graduation from Manhattan Hunter Science High School. After that, she turned to Hunter College; explored psychology initially. Finally, after getting done with her parents’ desires, she looked up at art as her career. Her parents got stunned to hear that. She was initially reluctant to present her artworks featuring women doing their chores. But she fought off her fears and stepped up audaciously in that direction. Not just her parents but the world also looked down upon her work.
Shedding light on the reactions, she said, “I had professors saying, ‘Why are you still drawing the body? It’s been done before. But I’ve always drawn people, and I’ve always drawn people who look like me. I think it’s a way of processing my feelings of displacement as an immigrant. It’s like, ‘Who am I and what am I doing?’”
Adding to her might, the world of social media turned up. She found many souls like her exploring the lanes of such themes. Hence, she went ahead unabashed to stay tuned to her passion. Her art pieces began to grab the attention of art lovers around the world. Not just that, her selfies also created waves. As a result, brands like Nike and American Eagle ended up crowning her for their campaigns.
Sensing the meaning of her works, BronxArt Space and the Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts in Brooklyn put her works on display. Thus, the artist managed to steal the limelight in the art world within two years of her graduation.
The artist even lit up the show at the 2019 Affordable Art Fair with her art pieces ranging between $500 and $3000.
Thus, the art world is all up to accommodate another shining star in its ever-green expanding vibrant sphere.
