10 Questions with Anastasia Vazquez de Miguel

Anastasia Vazquez de Miguel is a contemporary-traditional artist from the vibrant city of Miami, Florida. Her artistic journey was influenced by the rich cultural heritage, blending the colorful tapestry of Russian and Spanish roots. With a profound belief in the arts for expression, she explores themes related to thoughts, emotions, nature, and fantasies to express the soul with different mediums and connections from individuals and cultures. Her main art testament is to show cultural exploration, historical inquiry, and mythological narratives that bring individuals closer to self-discovery and mutual understanding.

anastasiavazquezdemiguelarticia.myportfolio.com | @annavmiguel

ARTIST STATEMENT

Anastasia's artwork invites viewers into a world of introspection and connection using different cultures, mythology narratives, and self-discovery. She invites the viewers to see a realm that lies on a canvas as a universal language of introspection and connection.

INTERVIEW

When and how did you start getting involved with art? 

Ever since I was a child, I have been interacting with painting at home and in school, and I have become involved with art.

Are you still following the same inspiration? And how did your work evolve over time?

My self-expression is a dynamic journey that has evolved over time, weaving together a diverse range of interests. Initially captivated by the romanticism of the 1940s, I drew inspiration from the art of that era, and as time progressed, my interests expanded to embrace the enchanting world of mythology, of stories, and of symbols that have peaked human imagination for centuries. Besides the external influences, my self-expression has been deeply shaped by intuition, tapping into a personal and introspective aspect of creativity and emotion. In essence, my self-expression has transformed into a mosaic of influences, blending the nostalgic allure of a past era with the timeless fascination of mythological narratives, guided by the intuitive whispers of personal introspection. This evolution shows the changing landscape of my interests, creating a rich tapestry that continues to unfold with each new discovery and experience.

Let’s talk about your work. What inspired you to work with painting? 

The inspiration to work with painting is based on my desire to express myself beyond words. Painting allows me to move from the limitations of linguistics and communicate through visuals with a medium. Thus allowing emotions, thoughts, and experiences to be shown with strokes and colors. Much like a novelist who creates a narrative on a page as a form of storytelling, the novelist’s pen becomes my brush, and the colors’ become the storytelling. Painting, for me, becomes a personal experience that is far beyond the verbal level.

You have a striking style, with recognizable characters and recurring colors. How do you choose the subjects to paint?

When it comes to my figures, it really depends on the vision I have for the painting and the background itself.

Where do you find inspiration for your work, and what is your creative process like? 

I find inspiration for my work from my intuition and any interests during that time, such as listening to a 1950s song, reading a classical novel, etc. My creative process involves many forms of learning to expand my own mind and emotions and place them on a sketch and then on to paintings.

How would you define your style? And how has it evolved over the years?

My style would be surrealism, which tends to change between a blended style and a decorative style. Over the years, I would say it became more refined.

What do you hope that the public takes away from your work?

A takeaway for the public would be to be open-minded, have emotions invoked from my paintings, and be enlightened.

What are you working on now, and what are your plans for the future in terms of new projects? 

Currently, I am finishing up a decorative painting and planning to create a series of artworks to apply to different shows.

Do you have any upcoming shows or collaborations you are looking forward to?

I do not have any shows coming up; however, I do plan to participate in an art residency in Spain this upcoming year.

Finally, share something you would like the world to know about you.

Something I would like the world to know about me is that I enjoy learning different norms and customs from different cultural backgrounds.

Artist’s Talk

Al-Tiba9 Interviews is a promotional platform for artists to articulate their vision and engage them with our diverse readership through a published art dialogue. The artists are interviewed by Mohamed Benhadj, the founder & curator of Al-Tiba9, to highlight their artistic careers and introduce them to the international contemporary art scene across our vast network of museums, galleries, art professionals, art dealers, collectors, and art lovers across the globe.