Raven Juarez
Art Mediums: ink, watercolor, acrylic, crystal, and thread
Born and based in Seattle, Raven Juarez is a contemporary native artist, teacher, and presenter. Juarez attended Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, NY, and spent a year abroad in Florence, Italy, studying painting, drawing, and print-making. She graduated in 2013 with a BA in the liberal arts with concentrations in Child Psychology/Development and Visual Arts. Raven’s intricate designs blend abstracts into symbolic meaning to tell her stories. Created in a process Raven describes as “conversations with herself,” her pieces offer a glimpse into her subconscious and conscious wantings, wonderings, memories, and dreams. Raven is inspired by working with young children and incorporates many of the approaches and techniques she observes from her students. This gives her finished pieces a distinctive layered, textured, and experimental quality. “Don’t Touch,” her first solo exhibition, was in Brooklyn, NY, at The One Well in Greenpoint, 2015.
Since returning to the Pacific North West, Juarez’s work has shown in Tacoma and Seattle. Notable shows including Bloodlines, curated by Tracy Rector at Bridge Productions, 2016; Protect The Sacred, Native Artists for Standing Rock, curated by Asia Tail at Spaceworks Gallery, 2017; Moon Moan, presented by Asia Tail and Raven Juarez at 950 Gallery, 2018; yehaŵ, curated by Tracy Rector and Asia Tail; Satpreet Kahlon at ARTS at King Street Station, 2019; Heavy Light at Koplin Del Rio Gallery, March-April 2022.
“I love to take scraps of forgotten things home with me from the preschool where I teach. Broken crayons, scribbled and stained papers, loose beads and threads. These small treasures often find their way directly into my work or inspire me. I like to show myself that fine art can be created with pedestrian or beginner-level materials. I've used playdough and slime in printmaking and glued children's pencil-marked papers onto canvases. They become the skeleton upon which the rest of the composition builds. Sometimes, when I get interested in a new medium or product, I'll take it to my students before I work with it myself to get the full scope of possibilities. Kids are innovators, and I'm shameless about borrowing their brilliance to inform my work and enhance my enjoyment of the experience.”
“My work emphasizes process over product. While in the process, I make the conscious decision to ignore any overhanging thoughts or concerns about how others may interpret or view the finished piece or collection. I often try to pretend no one will ever see it. I force myself to take risks and make it safe to let go and fall into the flow state. I never create out of intention to communicate with anyone except myself or my inner child. Drawing, scribbling, mark-making, and paint mixing are byproducts of my simple existence. I believe every person is an artist; skill and talent should have very little to do with it. I've learned when I try to make art be about something more, I lose the ability to get what I need out of the experience.”
“I've come to believe that what audiences take from my work is none of my business. Once it's out there, once it's in your eyes, it's for you to reflect your own story.”
3 Eyed Sleeper; shrunken pencil drawing in vintage reclaimed frame, embroidery thread; 2" x 1.5".
Thicket; ink, watercolor, and acrylic on watercolor paper with crystal and thread in a reclaimed frame; 8.5" X 11".
Someone Helped; found paper with graphite on canvas, graphite, acrylic paint, crystal, and thread (The paper affixed to the canvas was originally the work of a three-year-old past student of mine, with his permission I repurposed the drawing—hence the title of the piece); 12" x 12".
Big Sky for Aisha (commission); acrylic and gold calligraphy ink on canvas; 36" X 48".
Know The Way; acrylic on panel with gel bead gloss; 14" x 11".