Lilian Wilson Grez (born in 1953) is a Chilean artist and feminist activist.[1] Grez's art has been featured in exhibits sponsored by art organizations such as; La Peña Cultural Center and the non-profit organization: Women and their Work. [2]
Biography
editEarly life
editGrez was born in Valparaiso, Chile in 1953 [1] Her father, Gustavo Wilson, worked as a merchant marine and was in charge of supplies. Grez's father was away for most of her life, which led her to be raised solely by her mother. Grez's mother, Adriana Grez, was a housewife. Grez and her four siblings lived in Chile, during an era of social turmoil that inspired her art.[3] In 1977, Grez moved to the United States, which initially meant leaving behind her family, although two siblings eventually followed.[1]
Education
editHer initial experiences with Catholic school were another influence on her art.[1] Grez attended Los Sagrados Corazones Catholic School until 10th grade and Liceo de Niñas de Viña del Mar Public School for the remainder of her high school years. Both were all-girls schools.[3] Later, Grez attended a university in Chile, where she chose to study architecture because it allowed her to practice drawing. However, Grez abandoned architecture in favor of studying law at the University of Valparaiso, as part of an intended judicial career, which Grez also abandoned upon spending more time in court.[1] Grez then studied art at Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas. [4]
Religion
editGrez grew up in a Catholic household. Her grandparents and parents were all Catholic. Later in life, she considered herself Buddhist.[1]
Life in the United States
editGrez moved to the United States in 1977 when she was 23 years old.[5] Grez arrived in Austin, Texas, where she worked cleaning houses and hotels, and as a nanny. Grez did not speak English or understand North American culture; her first few years were difficult.[3]
Art
editGrez's artwork is informed by feelings of abandonment, innocence, and dreamlike states.[6] Much of her work is based on the experience of Mexican immigrants who cross the United States border, portraying the obstacles and difficulties they face.[7]
Some works include:
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f “Oral History Interview with Liliana Wilson, 2004.” Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, https://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/interviews/oral-history-interview-liliana-wilson-13093#transcript
- ^ “Liliana Wilson.” Women & Their Work, 17 May 2020, womenandtheirwork.org/archive/exhibitions/liliana-wilson/.
- ^ a b c Cantú, Norma E., ed. (2014). Ofrenda: Liliana Wilson's Art of Dissidence and Dreams. Texas A&M University Press. ISBN 978-1-62349-191-8.[page needed]
- ^ Liliana Wilson Papers, Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection, University of Texas Libraries, The University of Texas at Austin. 2021/11/11, https://txarchives.org/utlac/finding_aids/00309.xml
- ^ Gonzalez, Xelena (21 August 2002). "The art of emotion: The art of Liliana Wilson Grez transforms the Esperanza into a serene temple of thought". Current. San Antonio. p. 14. ProQuest 362539301.
- ^ Mársico, Claudia (2021). "El gobierno en tiempos tempestuosos. Escenas de la democracia ateniense y su relación con la crisis" [Government during Stormy Times. Scenes of Athenian Democracy and its Connection with the Crisis]. Araucaria (in Spanish). 23 (46): 71–84. doi:10.12795/araucaria.2021.i46.04. hdl:11336/163724. S2CID 233645031. ProQuest 2573028879.
- ^ a b c d e Wilson, Liliana (2011). "ARTIST'S STATEMENT: Images of Life: Witnessing Atrocities". Chicana/Latina Studies. 10 (2): 8–13. JSTOR 23015147.