Meet Alexia Burgos | Painter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alexia Burgos and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alexia, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
It is what has always made sense to me. Growing up, I was intrigued by anything artistic, and my love for creating grew to nearly an obsession. In elementary school, I was constantly studying my “how to draw” books from dragons to anime; it didn’t matter what I was drawing, it was all wonderful to me. Now, I try to hang onto that innocent pursuit of creation. Not relying on some grand language to explain away the many reasons I do this. For me, communicating my perception of the world through art has always been intrinsic to me, and now I just know this is what I want to do and need to do. Therefore, making a career out of it gives me the goal posts and the focus I have always wanted to dedicate to my creative passions. The art is for a reciprocal relationship between the act of making it and the sharing it with others. My need to make art is to give wonder and enjoyment to those who support me.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Being where I am now as an artist is an exciting yet somewhat nerve-wracking time. I am applying all that I have learned through my own practice and schooling, and now I am choosing which rules to follow or not. There are so many imaginary parameters sometimes placed in our minds as artists that it can be hard to look outside of them. So right now I’m trying my best to listen to my intuition of what I want to create. Finding the balance between having fun while making and making art that I want to exist. Currently, with my practice, I’ve been outside a lot and documenting the plants, bugs, and any critters I see daily, sketching and writing about them to inspire my future works. Or, digging through local antique store bins of photographs for 50 cents to collect imagery to pull from. Just a lot of looking around at what we may consider mundane or forgotten, and finding new life in it. There’s a lot of intrigue in fragments of a story left in objects and places. This feeling is what inspires the narratives within my paintings. I lean into the lack of limitations and keep the open-ended questions in what I create.
It has not been the easiest journey to get to where I am today, as I continue to navigate learning to be the best creative and professional. It is not something I necessarily knew about going into the fine arts– the business side of it. One moment you’re in high school with your friends sitting at your AP art table without a care in the world, just drawing whatever, and the next moment you’re learning how to socialize and present yourself at a gallery opening. I think a lot of artists may be somewhat shy, as I definitely am, but I have learned the best way to overcome that social anxiety is the exposure therapy, of doing it over and over again. Which I understand is probably the least appealing answer for someone struggling to gain confidence, but it truly is the best technique I have used for growth. And for all young artists, being able to present and advocate for yourself is essential when you are wading into the art world.
My current work involves dissecting themes of Americana, examining how landscape and region shape the body and self. I am doing this by pulling from my experiences growing up in the south and finding wonder in the sometimes juxtaposing beauty of the natural world and the many unique cultural identities of the south. Gas stations and the sublime big sky, small dainty flowers, and elaborately embroidered boots. All existing together to create a distinct familiarity.
The stylization of obscuring the figure and the space it exists in, grounded yet otherworldly, is to blur the lines between reality and the metaphysical. Again, a lot of these questions and explorations are very open-ended, and I am excited about where they will lead my creations.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Well, inside the city of Atlanta and surrounding it is a vast array of ways to enjoy yourself. Food, nature, and art are the three things I need to have a great time. Inside the city is a great place to explore the art scene. Such as Krog Street tunnel, a local gallery like The Bakery, or the High Museum of Art. My favorite food places are all probably not far from Buford Highway, such as El Indio for some good Mexican food. Looking inside the city, I love taking folks to Botiwalla. Then, enjoying nature, there are so many amazing options as the Atlanta area holds so many beautiful places to explore, being located in the Piedmont region with rolling hills not far from the Appalachian mountains. I love hiking and spending time outside, so some of my favorite places to go out to are Fort Mountain, Lookout Mountain, or Tallulah Gorge State Park.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to express my gratitude to all the many people who have been a part of my creative journey. From the endless support my family has given me since I was a tiny human, they have allowed me to explore and experiment. Even if that meant during high school, my mom would drive me over an hour every morning for weeks so I could take art programs. That would then open my eyes to the legitimacy of a creative career, and would be the seeds planted in my pursuit of the arts. And of course, all my friends who have allowed me to endlessly talk about painting, art history, ideas, etc. And never once told me to be quiet, and instead lifted me up to allow both of us to be excited to share our passions.

Website: https://www.alexiaburgos.com/

Instagram: alexiaburgos_art