American, b. 1988
Classical Realist artist Teresa Oaxaca was born in California in 1987. She received her art training through some of today’s most relevant classical art academies and traditional artists. In 2005, Oaxaca traveled to Florence, Italy where she spent four years studying at the Angel Academy of Fine Art, followed by completing graduate courses at the Florence Academy of Art. In 2008, she received an apprenticeship with the celebrated Norwegian figurative artist Odd Nerdrum at his studio in Stavern, Norway. From 2010 to 2012, Oaxaca received additional instruction at the Art League of Alexandria, Virginia where she studied under classical artists, Robert Liberace and Paul Lucchesi. Recently, she spent four months touring European museums to study the works of the Old Masters.
Teresa Oaxaca uses her personal collection of Victorian and Baroque costumes, and masks and dolls as symbolic metaphors in her paintings as well as opportunities to expose unique characters that heighten the psychological aspect of a scene. Her provocative, yet opulently beautiful, paintings are capturing media attention in print publications as well as in video interviews. In an article published in the Spring 2016 issue of the California Art Club Newsletter, art writer Molly Siple commented that “Oaxaca’s current work offers the viewer a lush fantasy world of unusual paintings of subject matter in which human and still-life elements mix.”
Oaxaca explains, “Most art from past cultures used imagination and fantasy to interpret and explore aspects of the real world. Art, for me, exhibits my need for beauty and order by presenting it through a spiritual, sympathetic, and uncanny filter.” She adds, “My work is about pleasing the eye. I paint light and the way it falls. Simple observation reveals beauty, which I often find in the unconventional. Because of this, I have learned to take particular delight in unusual pairings of subject matter.” Oaxaca’s paintings maintain traditional craftsmanship, as she explores and utilizes new pigments, tools, and materials. Her paintings begin with preparatory sketches to address design concepts, and then, she uses multiple layers of oil paint to build an illusion of light and form.
Teresa Oaxaca currently spends her time between Florence, Italy, and Arlington, Virginia where she has her studio.
