Esaí Alfredo Figueroa Ruiz
Esai Alfredo, Boricua painter, illustrator and printmaker captures celestial moods on canvas.
Artist Background
My name is Esaí Alfredo Figueroa Ruiz. I am a visual artist from the town of Yabucoa in Puerto Rico, where I was raised. I currently reside in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where I recently graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts (PAFA). Right now I have been creating images about the night, light pollution, and its consequences for the environment. The series is called Mundo Nocturno (Nocturnal World), which I will present at PAFA’s Annual Student Exhibition in September. I am always interested in not revealing too much information in my images, and also in adding unexpected or magical elements. Part of my inspiration comes from the literary genre, magical realism, in which the story is placed in a real context, but fantastic elements intervene in the narrative. Surrealism, science fiction movies, and music are other influences and inspirations.
I have a great list of projects that I want to do in the future. For now, once I pause with Mundo Nocturno, I want to start a new series about personal dreams, which I have written about but haven't taken to the canvas.
Advice I’d give to a young artist from the Diaspora:
My advice to young artists in the diaspora who may or may not have access to a fine arts school is not to feel less than someone who does. There is something that all artists have that does not depend on going to a fine arts school to find it. I think another important thing is to look for ways to make art with the materials you have available and to expose yourself, if possible, to other media that stimulate your art such as film, literature, picture books, museums, other artists you meet, either in person or virtually.