SOLO EXHIBITION
SOLO EXHIBITION
SOLO EXHIBITION
The World's Leading Contemporary Fine Art Gallery
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The World's Leading Contemporary Fine Art Gallery
Victoria
May
USA
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“To be an artist is to be a mirror, a reflection of what is around us.”
Victoria May is a 22-year-old emerging artist living in the Chicagoland area of Illinois, in the United States of America. Throughout her life, she always took an interest in drawing and art in general. Art classes would go on to become one of her favorite subjects throughout her school years. Her art skills were stunted, however, for about 7 years due to receiving a Catholic education.
Untitled Figure 2 shows a nameless, faceless figure frozen in a moment of time. No one knows who they are or what their life is like. This piece is part of my series "Life."
Private Catholic schools generally have small, underfunded, or nonexistent art departments. Though her art teacher was supportive and encouraging, the curriculum being taught was geared for younger children.
Serenity In Music was inspired by what I do to find peace and calmness: simply listen to music. It is when I am listening while driving or as a safe haven from my anxiety and health issues. I have aphasia, which means I cannot visualize anything. In recent years, I realized music helps fill that void. I feel music like nothing else, and I would never change that in a million years.
At her Catholic high school, they had two art classes only for seniors, taught by a Benedictine monk. not the best choice for an incoming freshman interested in art. It would only change when, due to severe mental health issues, Victoria transferred to a public high school her sophomore year. She took a 2-D and 3-D art and design class and a digital arts class. In that time, she developed not only general techniques but also a deep love of all forms of art. She went on to get her GED and attend the College of DuPage and their amazing art program. There she learned from great teachers who helped her art grow and flourish.
"Art is meant to be perceived; you would never hoard a song or a film. So why are there so many beautiful pieces of art in the private homes of the 1%?"
From childhood to her receiving a GED and attending the College of DuPage, her personal life was hellish. Victoria suffered from severe depression, anxiety, paranoia, and a psychosis due to depression.
When Victoria switched to public education, she met some amazing friends who would come to support her in ways her family never did. One way of providing specific support was by helping her realize her sexuality—her bisexuality, to be exact. Today, however, is thankfully incredibly different. Victoria no longer suffers from depression, anxiety, or psychosis, although they could return given the right circumstances. Her parents stopped being abusive and are learning better stress-coping skills every day. She has also found incredible doctors who treat and believe in her physical ailments and pain.
She was bullied from grade school through high school by her peers for many things but especially her weight, gothic punk looks, and interests. From a young age, she had suffered from a physical disability and a plethora of other physical health issues.
The Mona Lisa is probably the most famous painting in history. From her stern yet stoic pose to Leonardo's beautiful brush strokes, it is an iconic work of art. What The Backdrop Saw is a comedic response to The Mona Lisa. You can see the stool or chair she probably had to sit on for hours as Leonardo worked. Instead of that forward-facing view with an intricate background, you get a simple shot of her back and really nothing else.
"Art is irreplaceable. It is a crucial way to connect with and understand one another. It breaks down language and life barriers. To live as another is impossible, but to see through the eyes of another is not."
The American Dream portrays how capitalism and corporate greed are killing America. Sears, a well-loved company that many thought would last for decades, is instead left to rot, metaphorically and literally, with the rise of companies like Amazon. Capitalism is a black hole of a system that is more interested in quick profit than long-term sustainability. If we do not change for the better and fast, we will all be sucked into that never-ending desolation, just like Sears.
Victoria’s physical health issues were ignored, dangerously untreated, and consistently gaslighted by doctors for years, who said she only did it for attention, to be out of school, or because she was overweight. On top of that, she had abusive parents and an abusive older sibling at home. which was like driving a car through an area without gravity, never knowing what was going to happen.
Lakefront Impression is a straightforward yet intricate landscape depicting a lake in a forest. This piece is part of my series "Nature Impressions."
During late middle school, her parents went through a nasty divorce, leaving her to live with her mother alone while her older sibling went off to college.
There is a simplicity to solitude. A monochromatic person just exists. This piece is part of my series "Life Paused."
Her love of art has grown beyond the limits she ever thought were possible. Victoria works in almost every art medium and form, including many forms of painting, drawing, ceramics, and printmaking on any type of surface. Her art does not stick to one format either; she explores different styles and techniques to portray a variety of emotions, situations, lives, and scenes.
Subtle Movements is a piece that is completed solely by those who view it. The viewer can choose why the figure is posed the way they are. Are they preparing for combat? Are they doing yoga? That is completely up to the viewer to decide. Showing the beauty of humanity's vast creativity, "Subtle Movements" brings out the storyteller in all of us. This piece is part of my series "Life Paused."
"...That is the gift art grants us all—a chance to see. To see our lives, our loves, our hopes, our passions, and our pains."
My body is "Mine" and mine alone. "Mine" was painted using my fears, anger, and frustration about people outlawing our rights to abortion and birth control. The size of the piece shows that these are monumental rights that are being purposely stolen from us. And the fragility of the paper speaks to how fast they can tear our fundamental rights away from us. My uterus, my breasts, and my life are nothing but objects for the patriarchy.
Victoria loves to take art formalities and twist them, playing outside the box of perfection, one might say, like choosing not to hang a painting the average way or perhaps purposely choosing to leave the canvas sides blank. Victoria has believed that art should never have to be behind an outrageous pay wall. That solo collectors who do not sell their collections at reasonable prices are selfish and wasteful.
A Mother's Help was inspired by the many "Madonna and Child" works by the old master Raphael. The figures in the piece are from a popular social media photo of a mother helping her children beat a level in a video game. The featureless faces of the figures allow the viewer to reflect on their own loved ones. And the uneven halo that surrounds them shows mothers are not perfect, nor is family. We all know that age-old image of children surrounding their mother with sheer adoration.
With this uncommon approach, the works of Victoria May can connect with almost anyone around the globe. The many ordeals throughout her life plays into her works’ adaptability to almost any viewer.
Still Life: A Flower Vase is an impressionist still life. This piece is part of my series "Nature Impressions."