Carmen Lomas Garza

Carmen Lomas Garza is a Chicana narrative artist who depicts everyday events in the lives of Mexican Americans in her art. The strength in her art lies in her colorful, cultural figurative technique. Family is an important component in Mexican culture and she incorporates family in her art to paint childhood memories. In her Cascarones painting she paints herself and her family sitting around a large table decorating Easter eggs filled with confetti. Her vivid details of her family members caught my eye because it reminded me of my own familial memories. I remember my family during the Easter holiday gathering so that we can partake in this activity. My cousins and I would cut up scraps of newspapers to create the confetti inside the egg.Her use of clear, vibrant colors stimulates the viewer’s eyes. The image serves as a nostalgic memory of family traditions. Carmen’s artwork serves as a symbolic image which allows to take the spectator along her world. She is unique in the sense that she embodies her culture and defines her identity through her art. Her childhood recollections are nurtured through her family and allows her tradition and culture to live on. Painting her childhood narratives reinforces her aim and her recuerdos.