Mariestella Colón Astacio
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I create universes with their own constellations, moods, and protagonists. They are informed by the feminine, nature, its colors, topography, and cell systems. In my work, the human form is distilled into a single line that intertwines with the shadow cast by sewn copper wire. The copper wire symbolizes energy and interconnection, acknowledging the act of sewing, a gesture rooted in the female experience. Here the viewer is encouraged to approach the canvas, where rendered eyes emerge. These elements come to life by the viewer's own movement. In this moment, surprise unfolds at smiley faces looking back, happy to see them.
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Mariestella Colón Astacio (b. Hato Rey, Puerto Rico, 1970) is a painter based in the greater Atlanta region. Originally from San Juan, Puerto Rico, she pursued her art education at the San Juan League of Art Students and the Central School of Visual Arts in Santurce, PR.In 1988, she won a prize in the National Talent Search Award of the Pratt Institute in New York. This marked the beginning of her academic journey in the United States, where she earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Pratt Institute in 1992. She furthered her education at New York University, where she earned a Master of Arts in 1995, with a semester in Venice, Italy, in 1994 through the university's exchange program.
Mariestella's work has been showcased in exhibitions including La Galería de Arte USC in Santurce, PR, the Masur Museum of Contemporary Art in Monroe, LA, Tomorrow’s Stars at Verge Art Fair in NYC, and exhibitions at the Museum of Contemporary Art of Puerto Rico in Santurce and the Museo de Las Americas in Old San Juan, PR.
From 2002 to 2007, Mariestella actively contributed to the art community by serving as a board member of NurtureART Non-Profit Inc. During her tenure, she played a pivotal role in establishing the NURTUREart Gallery and Emerging Curators Resource Center in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Her responsibilities included overseeing staff, organizing events, and fundraising efforts.