Jacqueline Ann Villa

       Growing up, I always turned to art as an escape from reality. The process of art - for me - became somewhat addictive. Pushing myself everyday to learn new things gave my life meaning. To some, art is a hobby, but for me it has become a big part of my existence. I work everyday to understand my weaknesses as an artist and to grow from them. I discipline my craft with patience to fully conceptualized new ideas and approaches to creating new works.  

       My vision as a whole is colorful and highly detailed. The current project I am working on deals with ideas of appropriation. I use other artist’s work inside my own to reflect such things. Each piece is a hand crafted mask made from plaster and is painted to look like a known painting (or artwork). Most of  my masks are colorful; which brings a sense of attraction to those who view it. The purpose for the amount of masks I make is to reflect consumption of things that are beautiful. As an artist, I like to experiment with how far appropriation can go. In the art world, appropriation is frowned upon. Considering what my project stands for it is not just stolen artwork, rather it is a commentary on how appropriation becomes accepted.

       The mask alone brings forth a new way to show the artwork without it being controversial. The masks symbolize concealment of the ego. I am not trying to gain recognition for the work as my own; instead I am transforming the ideas behind other artists work into the masks.

I graduated Harold Washington College in 2015 with an Associates in Art. I am currently attending the University of Illinois at Chicago for my Bachelors in Fine Art.