REFLECTIONS

August 28 – September 26, 2020

Fabiola Martinez Rodriguez

‘Reflections’ is a show with ten abstract paintings made with Mexico’s red cochineal dye and oil paint. This body of work aims to communicate the visual sensation of a space in a geometric composition that reflects the identity of the space. Fabiola Martinez is inspired by the old architectural structures around the world and recreates the mist of Saint John Harbour for the atmosphere. She sees these historical structures as witnessing time and cultural development. She uses her art to focus on the figurative representation of these buildings.

Biography 
Fabiola Martinez Rodriguez was born in Mexico City and grew up in the City of Santiago de Querétaro. She is an Architect from the Instituto Tecnologico de Querétaro and she moved to Saint John New Brunswick several years ago, where she got married and raised two children, considering Mexico and Canada as her home. Fabiola works as a professional artist, her art shows the beauty created when we blend different cultures together. Combining architecture, natural elements and light to represent the energy that surrounds us and the connection we all share.

To Fabiola architecture is the silent witness to life unfolding. It’s not just about the buildings, though they show the culture, it’s about the life that is around them, within them and growing beneath them. Using the cochineal from her homeland for its vibrant red colour, Fabiola incorporates nature into each piece and with it, she brings part of her heritage to the canvas.
Fabiola’s work has been exhibited in art centers, galleries and universities in the provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia as well as the city of Vancouver, the Lancaster Museum of Art and History in California, The New Brunswick Museum and Lotton Gellery in Chicago. in Mexico, her work has been exhibited at the Cineteatro Rosalio Solano in her hometown.

Fabiola is passionate about art education and was named by the YMCA of Greater Saint John as a Community Champion 2018. She has been the recipient of several grants by the prestigious ArtsNB and the Department of Tourism and Cultural Heritage of the New Brunswick. Fabiola is a jury member of Craft NB, Nova Scotia Designer Crafts Council, WEAD-Women Eco Artist Dialog, LACAP- Latin American- Canadian Art Projects in Toronto.

Artist Statement
My artistic practice reflects the tension between heritage, culture and education in Architectural scenery. The urban landscape consists of a collective relationship between heritage, culture and education. Based on this thought, I paint architectural scenery focused on the figurative representation of buildings from the 18th century and how they are utilized and interpreted in contemporary architecture.
New connections emerge on the canvas as I respectfully bear witness to beauty and culture unfolding and Architectural spaces being created. Veiled with the oceanic mist of Atlantic Canada, the distinct red from Mexico’s cochineal combined with the architecture from around the world, my paintings are interpretations of how we are all culturally connected.
My consistent and continuous creative process has heightened my awareness of seeing, feeling and interpreting Architectural spaces. These ongoing in-depth examinations allow me to reflect on how buildings that were originally designed during another era for a specific purpose can be adjusted to serve efficiently for a completely different reason in today’s world.
My art aims to communicate the visual sensation of real space in geometrical abstraction to reflect the identity of a space as a connector of intangible cultural heritage.
I respect the craft that is needed for the Architectural space to come to fruition. The sketch and detail drawing breathes life into the newborn building that will inevitably bear witness to the culture being born and carry a life and identity of its own.
My artistic practice recognizes the geometric point and its position in space and the liberation of architectonic lines that form planes composed of walls, ceilings and floors. These elements, are structurally connected and visually conjugated, resulting in a perception of a complete figure of space and its volume construction materials, history and spending time within the actual spaces to investigate how the past connects to the present. In short, my work is an interpretation of the essence of static spaces and intangible changes.