Meet Filipina Artist Abigail Cadiz
15 year old Abigail Cadiz is making waves in the art world, from art contests to art classes at Del Sol Academy’s visual design program, Cadiz always has a pencil and sketchbook at her fingertips.
“I've always been interested in art since I was a kid. Whether it was sculpting, crafting, painting, or drawing, art has been one of the very few constants in my life,” Cadiz explains. “I always found myself being captivated by the art supplies at the store, or closely inspecting each brush stroke or mark-making whenever I came across an art piece, whether it was placed in the walls of my own home, or even the doctor's office.” Her appreciation of art was a major influence in deciding to take art classes at school. However, pursuing art as a career as a woman of color wasn’t without its struggles.
“With Asian parents, the stereotype of growing up to become a nurse or something in the medical field was an expectation that was heavily brought upon me.” For many older generations, the concept of pursuing art as a job felt like an unrealistic dream. “However, as I’ve progressed as an artist and became more comfortable showing my parents what I do, I found that they’ve begun to support me a lot more,” she added, highlighting how her determination and growth had slowly earned her family’s approval. Her art is a reflection of evolution, growth and is changing the norms for young Filipino artists worldwide.
While she’s still developing her unique style, Cadiz enjoys experimenting with various techniques. “I wouldn't say I have a specific artistic style. I like to experiment with different styles whenever I come across new artists and new styles. I become inspired by them and try to implement aspects of their style that I like into my artwork.” Cadiz enjoys adding aspects of other artist’s styles into her own. “I feel like my style is sort of leaning towards realism; my mark-making kind of contradicts the realistic aspect as I like to add random cross hatching and hatching marks to my drawings.”
She also utilizes various mediums to make art, most she can find from the comfort of her own home. “I prefer to work with graphite, acrylic paint, and Sharpie as my main mediums. For my materials, I typically use paper or card stock. However, I've found myself starting to use cardboard because I like the thickness and durability of it. I usually stay within these mediums because I can easily access them within my home and I find they're easier to use since I've been using them for a long time,” she says. These kinds of materials are typically very accessible, being easy to find in stores or online.
As for the art process, the meaning of her art plays a significant role in the first steps of starting a new piece. “The first thing I do when starting a new piece is choosing what kind of message I want to portray, and I typically start with a concept idea to guide me through. I prefer to have a solid plan before committing to my artwork.” She also adds that, “When I create artworks that have some sort of meaning to me, I typically choose meanings that I have concern or distress for. I think it makes a much emotionally deeper piece, which may find its way to connect with my audience.”
In addition to attending art classes at Del Sol, Cadiz also participates in art shows and contests. “I took part in an event called the "Flora, Fauna, and Fossils in Southern Nevada" art contest hosted by the Las Vegas Natural History Museum. I made a simple watercolor painting of yellow flowers and a blue sky, and to my surprise, I placed!” For her, winning and getting praise for her art was a major motivation for her to continue making new pieces. “It’s always the little things that make me feel grateful for what I do. I find it really rewarding whenever I post my art on my Instagram and it gets even just a few likes or shares. It feels great when people come across my art randomly and genuinely compliment it.”
However, she also voiced concerns for the future of the art industry. “With the emergence of AI, a lot of viewer’s standards are high, bringing on the pressure [on] us artists to make those “perfect” pieces.” As AI takes over social media, it has made it difficult for audiences to separate real art from artificially generated paintings and drawings. “It really makes me glad to see more people tapping into their creative capabilities. There are some issues, however, with some people seeing so [many] “perfect” artworks that they become shocked to find that amateur artists exist and talent does, in fact, come with practice.”
For her, personality should shine through the art people portray. “I think the most important thing is to stay true to creating what you personally love and feel comfortable with. I think a lot of artists today only create art that follows the idealistic trends of society, like drawing perfect looking people with no flaws or creating something that looks the same as everyone else’s,” she said. “The point of art is that it’s personalized to the artist. I wish we could more strongly embrace the fact that nobody is a perfect artist. Every single artist has something different about them, and it’s important to apply that.” For upcoming artists, Abigail Cadiz has one piece of advice: “Never stop making art. People want to see your old, your new, and your in-progress work. It’s a great way to build a proficient portfolio, especially when you’re always documenting your steps and progress.”
See more of her art here: https://www.instagram.com/_helpmyhandshurt?igsh=OWFvOGJjYm04OWVk
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