Greyson Villanueva

Greyson Villanueva

Degree Completed

BFA in Studio Art

Artist Statement

I am an interdisciplinary artist focused on exploring themes of identity, trauma, pain, and healing. I have been interested in art since I was a child as I would often use it as a tool for understanding what was going on in my life. This remains true today as I continue to use my practice as a means of thinking and coping.

In Self Compassion, I explore different aspects of my life that I am still in the process of healing from. I aim to emphasize the complex nature of healing through using a bright cheerful palette juxtaposed with an uneasy feeling from the figure. The attractiveness of the colors and simple style are not to make these topics easier to digest, but to emphasize the fact that reflecting is not always straightforward. To begin healing is to willingly navigate through a complex relationship between your current self and that of your past. Healing is difficult, confusing, and painful. Though this series is not all encompassing, I focus on aspects of my life I have grown from, yet still linger and impact me today. My intention for creating Self Compassion is to be able to explore my relationship with past events intimately enough to aid in my healing process. A large part of this series is reliant on maintaining a safe distance from the harmful events that have happened to me in order to continue healing. While this series covers a lot, I feel I have only scratched the surface of turmoil that lie beyond the paint and canvas.