Nan Jane Xiong in Conversation with Artist Mar Figueroa

Mar Figueroa (Ecuadorian, b. 1993) seeks to capture the complexities of her bicultural life. As an emerging artist based in New York, Figueroa conjures surrealist portraits of women through creamy hues of pinks, purples, and blues. Over the last few years, her works have been inspired by her family’s quaint La Hacienda restaurant in Jersey City. It was the simple actions that brimmed the restaurant with a vibrant culture which sparked her artistic interest. One might say her career began during childhood, when she drew fantastical pictures on the back of old menus, complimented by the sounds of Andean ballads dancing in the restaurant along with the smells of spices and fruits used to prepare Native American recipes. Drawing on these formative memories, Figueroa continues to document the transcension of ancient traditions within her cultural experiences today.

Born in Ecuador and raised in Jersey City, Mar Figueroa received a BFA from The Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) in 2015. She is currently an artist-in-residence at Silver Art Projects in the World Trade Center and the recent recipient of The Hopper Prize. At her studio, Figueroa delves into her personal experiences and how they are influencing the evolution of themes, colours, and painting techniques of her newer works. In this exclusive with MADE IN BED, Figueroa touches upon presence, spirituality, and reconnection to one’s self.

Mar Figueroa in her Studio, © Charlotte Rea, courtesy of the artist.

Nan Jane Xiong: How does colour enhance the themes of your works, and what inspired you to shift your visual palette and explore a new selection of colours in your newer works?

Mar Figueroa: I search for harmony between colour and subject matter. Together, this balance helps narrate my work. This process is difficult to explain because it is intuitive to me. It’s like cooking - when you know your food needs more of this or that to find that balance of flavors. This past year, I created a new body of work more focused on my present. These new works are less about my childhood compared to my earlier works. I felt that this shift required an expansion in my palette from softer, nostalgic colours to more bold colors like black, red, green, etc. I am currently working on a piece, with vivid reds and greens, titled Blessed Waters for the Soul and the Flesh (2023), which will debut at Sotheby’s Institute of Art, New York, in November. This piece refers to traditional Andean spiritual treatments of cleansing through prayers and herbal baths.

NJX: Can you talk about your painting process?

MF: Ideas float around my studio for some time before they feel clear enough to become tangible on paper. I sketch and create a blueprint for my paintings. Afterward, I start with a few of my favorite base colors and approach the layering process using a collage-like technique, in which I paint one shape at a time due to the fast-drying nature of acrylics. I usually work with a fairly dry brush and paint against a rough canvas texture. The feeling of the tooth of the canvas under a bristle brush is one of my favourite sensations, so I avoid working on polished surfaces.

Mar Figueroa, On a planting moon, I release what broke me, 2023. Acrylic on canvas, 48 x 36 in. Courtesy of the artist.

NJX: What are the influences behind this particular artwork? What does this painting mean to you?

MF: I created On a planting moon, I released what broke me (2023) during a time when I felt frustrated about not being able to produce work. On a full moon night, I decided to take some time off from the studio. That night, I drew this entire painting in my sketchbook. Under a Pachira Aquatica, I sat and drew at my kitchen table under the full moon that served as a watchful presence. The Pachira Aquatica is commonly known as a money tree for the myths of fortune it carries. Seeking assistance from the Pachira Aquatica for the upcoming year, I felt a connection to my ancestral roots in farming, particularly to the tradition of planting seeds in harmony with distinct lunar phases. This work’s title takes inspiration from the metaphorical act of planting new intentions and freeing myself from energies that no longer serve me.

NJX: You attended pre-college programs at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), New York University (NYU), and RISD; as well as studied painting and illustration at RISD. How did these programs shape your artistic practice?

MF: At all of these programs, I worked toward an education that nurtured storytelling and advanced my technical skills. I primarily painted until my last semester at RISD, when I realized that the end of my scholarship would impact my studio practice. I then taught myself Adobe Illustrator and ended up working professionally with digital programs for a few years. During that time, I learned about colour theory and other techniques while simultaneously gaining business experience.

NJX: After college, you took some time to work in the design world for about four years. When did you start painting again?

MF: During my design years, my painting practice became portable. I traveled a lot, and so I worked at an intimate scale with small paints of gouache on paper. In 2019, I participated in small residencies that allowed me to really re-engage with my painting practice. Then the pandemic served as a catalyst for me to re-evaluate my career and take a leap of faith to fully dedicate myself to my painting practice.

Mar Figueroa, Two Tongues, 2022. Acrylic on canvas, 47 x 36 in. Courtesy of the artist.

NJX: When did you know you wanted to be an artist?

MF: Always. At my family’s restaurant, they would give me a big stack of menus with old prices. I would flip them over and draw. Our regular customers knew that I loved drawing. They gifted me my first set of paints, easel, canvas, and other supplies. One customer, in particular, really advocated my artistic aspirations and helped me learn to navigate the city when I started my first pre-college program (FIT).

NJX: You mentioned the restaurant closed after the stock crash of 2008. Along with the closure, did you feel a looser tie with your culture and seek other avenues to reconnect?

MF: My life changed drastically. My focus on my path to higher education kept me grounded during those turbulent years. As a college student with my cultural and socioeconomic background, I immersed myself in my assignments and filled my schedule with numerous jobs. I became a workaholic trying to keep up with peers. That lifestyle and stress further disconnected me from my culture and spirituality. It was a long journey to feel connected again to my heritage, in the way I feel connected today. Finding the voices of Latin American and Native American writers, especially poets, really guided me. Years ago, I distinctly remember a moment of clarity when I looked in the mirror as I braided my hair. I truly recognized myself again.

Mar Figueroa, Memories Find You Washing, 2021. Acrylic on canvas, 39 x 27.5 in. Courtesy of the artist.

NJX: How do you hope your works contribute to the greater conversation of culture, identity, and self-representation within the arts?

MF: I consider my practice as a dialogue among all my identities, especially the parts of me that have been silenced. Inspired by my mother’s cooking, I aspire to create spaces where my community finds comfort, familiarity, and nourishment. I hope my artworks can add to the cultural continuity that transcends the legacy of the plundered artifacts from my ancestors in this country. I hope for my works to be appreciated and critiqued based on their own merits, without being limited exclusively to Latin American spaces.

NJX: Now, we see museums and art fairs creating space for previously marginalized groups. There are exhibitions with an obvious and deliberate focus on displaying the arts of Latinos, Native Americans, and other related groups. What are your views on these focused exhibitions?

MF: By creating spaces that highlight the art of Latin Americans, Native Americans, and other marginalized groups, museums and art fairs rectify their own historical injustices. They also enhance the art world with our diverse voices and experiences. However, it's important that these exhibitions are not limited to specific months or events. Our work should be integrated into the mainstream art scene and not confined solely to targeted occasions. We should have the opportunity to occupy the same spaces as our peers, based on the merits of our artwork and not limited to designated heritage months. Inclusion should be an ongoing commitment by institutions, not a seasonal or occasional gesture.

Mar Figueroa in her Studio, © Charlotte Rea, courtesy of the artist.

NJX: Who are some artists that inspire you or influence your practice?

MF: I’m inspired by Diego Rivera. His art promoted a vision of Mexican national identity rooted in Indigenous and folk cultures, distinct from the legacies of Spanish colonialism. I lived in Mexico for two years and soaked in as much of his public art as I could. Frida Kahlo’s work is intimate and depicts her internal conflicts. As an introvert, this inspires me to voice and paint my own internal narratives. I also had the privilege to see Nkame, a traveling retrospective of Cuban artist Belkis Ayón, at El Museo Del Barrio in 2017. The silhouette of her figures are drawn with an elegant contour line and textured through collography, a printmaking technique. Her works continue to linger with me.

Mar Figueroa in her Studio, © Charlotte Rea, courtesy of the artist.

Many thanks to Mar Figueroa on behalf of MADE IN BED. To learn more about Figueroa’s practice, follow her on Instagram.

Nan Jane Xiong

Contributing Writer, MADE IN BED