Maria
Gonzalez
Immerse
Artist Statement
My work draws strongly from literary elements to create an integrated story that narrates the journey of a soul reaching for the truth. Immerse, attempts to tell this account through an allegorical use of a Sea voyage. Since the pieces in this project develop metaphoric language, imaginative components and fantasy permeate the paintings -- yet they begin to unveil the reality of God and human nature.
I was drawn to maritime themes because of water's metaphorical range. Water has different states, it transforms, it flows, it adapts; water is resilient. And the Sea, beautiful and mysterious, puts into perspective the fragility of humankind. By using Watercolour as my medium, I merged the fluidity and unpredictability of watercolour with the nature of the sea. I was able to see how the water altered the paper, at points mixed in with salt to create textured saline water, reflections, and transparency.
Although this idea began as a personal songwriting project, I became interested in translating this story into the visual language. Curiosity arises about other people’s accounts and where they could find themselves in this story. Our souls may wrestle differently, but ultimately, they are all in pursuit of true happiness. We are dust, and the journey begins with our feet buried on the sand, where does it go from there?
About Maria Gonzalez
Maria Gonzalez is an International Student from the Dominican Republic, coursing her 4th year at Redeemer University. Her interests on the Arts began since childhood, but set foot later in her teenage years through Graphic Design and Digital Art. For the past year, Maria has been exploring deeper Watercolours, and often mixing both in. With Art major, and Music and English minors, she seeks to
convert her studies into creative artistic work while also exploring her call as a Christian artist in the world.