Michelle Medina is a Afro Latina Bangladeshi, born in NYC, raised in Guam, Panama, and the Bronx. She is a self taught artist that began painting 3 years ago after arriving in Orlando, from an elementary teaching career in California. Michelle’s artistic style is provocative, loud, and emotional, which translates into dynamically charged paintings. As a bold person, she wants her boldness to be evident in her work. Michelle has always been compelled by color, shapes and textures in our world, and the way it awakens all of our senses. As an Abstract Expressionist, she loves to use geometric shapes and bold colors as a way to express unconscious thought through surrealism. By using curvy lines, bold colors, and shapes Michelle’s paintings develop their own rhythm and movement. Michelle works in acrylics because she finds it to be incredibly forgiving, thus allowing her the freedom to create without restraint. She always uses paint pens, markers, wax crayons, and oil pastels to outline, soften, and/ or define her work. In Michelle’s paintings of women, she often puts a cigar in their mouth or Taino symbols as a tribute to her ancestors. In her more abstract paintings, she loves using bold colors and black and white lines to create a variety of focal points. Causing the viewer’s eye to move around the painting, which allows for details to be constantly uncovered. Michelle wants to evoke feelings of passion, surprise, and joy in the audience. She wants her art to be felt as a visceral experience.Michelle has sold many of her pieces through word of mouth, Instagram, and on the side streets of NYC. She will be having one of her pieces on display in the “Arte Sin Fronteras/Without Borders” Celebrating Hispanic Artists and Culture. This exhibit will be held at Osceola Arts in Kissimmee, Florida from September 15- November 1.
I am a Nuyorican Afro Latina Bangladeshi, who grew up on Salsa music, arroz con habichuelas, and visiting family in Spanish Harlem. I am a self taught artist, and became an abstract expressionist 3 years ago. My cultural upbringing and being a brown woman in the U.S., caused me to become bold, creative, and an independent thinker.My adventurous nature is evident in my artwork, which is provocative and loud. I love geometric shapes and bold colors, as well as the ability to express unconscious thought through surrealism. My style is intuitive, which I transform into dynamically charged painting. By using curvy lines, bold colors and shapes, the paintings develop their own rhythm. In my paintings of women I often add a cigar or Taino symbols as a tribute to my ancestors. I want my audience to feel surprise, joy and contemplative while viewing my art. One of my paintings will be displayed at the “Arte Sin Fronteras/ Art Without Boarders”, Celebrating Hispanic Arts and Culture, held at Ocseola Arts in Kissemmee, Florida. I will also be exhibiting my work at the Orlando International Airport. This event is put on by Orange County for their Hispanic Heritage show.
