Anna Ruiz was born in Los Angeles and raised in Watts, California. She creates images based on her background as a first-generation Mexican-American woman, living in an unrepresented and underprivileged sector of Los Angeles. She participated in her first art show in 2019, curated at the Central California Women’s Facility at Chowchilla. Anna paroled in 2023. She is currently a fulltime student at the Cal State University of Northridge with an electrical engineering major. She is an independent artist on the side. Her hopes are to merge these two fields together someday.
Artist Statement
I am a doodler by nature, doodling shapes and putting them on flashcards. I then pull out pieces that spark an emotion and share with random people to see what their response is. If one particular image gets continuous response from the viewer, I produce it as an art piece. I try to create images that resonate with the human experience.
Once I’ve made out an image I stencil it, scan it to a computer to adjust its size, and add color. I’ll then draw that image on canvas or other available surfaces. I finish it off with acrylic or spray paint and computerized backgrounds to fill in negative space. Being incarcerated has influenced the artwork I produce. I used to overthink the subjects that I would like to create, now the art comes to me and I trust it is worthy of representation.
After coming home, I decided to begin working with acrylic paint because it is a medium I didn’t have access to while incarcerated. It has been a learning experience that I enjoyed, and I plan to work with it in future projects.
Contact Information:
[email protected]
Follow on IG @rythemofliving
