Bárbara Díaz Tapia
Degradation of society, of the physical being, the monstrous body and the human knowledge inspire Bárbara Díaz-Tapia’s work. Díaz-Tapia is an artist interested in her country’s history, especially the portrayal of the political problems surrounding the Caribbean colony. She was born in Bayamón (1984), Puerto Rico but lives and works in its’ capital San Juan, since 2006. Juxtaposing the beautiful against the grotesque Diaz-Taipa’s dynamic color, lyrical line, and enticing textures produce imagery that is both transfixing and disturbing. Deeply engaged in social criticism, her work calls on myth and legend to explore her community and is underpinned by the idea that art transforms reality. That is why she paints Chupacabras, everyday distorted people, irresponsible parenthood, the ugly, the abject, among others. She also expanded her themes by exploring the intimacy in later drawings, always giving her works overtones of the unknown.
Awards
2014 Merit Scholarship of $40,000 of Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
2012 First and Third Prize in Photography, Exhibition of my students from the Program “Creating Resilient Learning Teams”, Museum of Art of Puerto Rico
2006 Anual Collective Exhibition, First Prize, School of Fine Arts of Puerto Rico
“Feria ARCO” Scholarship, travel study to Bilbao, Valencia, Madrid and Barcelona, Spain
2002-2006 Rafael Carrión Jr Scholarship. Fundación Banco Popular.
Honor Roll, School of Fine Arts (2002-06)
2005 Jorge Rechani Prize, School of Fine Arts
2002 Award of the Painting Department,
Central School of the Visual Arts, Santurce
CV- San Juan, Puerto Rico
INDIVIDUAL EXHIBITIONS:
2016 Tumores, mutaciones, gobernadoresy otras calamidades/ Tumors, mutations, governors and other calamities/, El cuadrado gris/ The Grey Square, Barrio obrero, San Juan
2010 La historia de la sangre: Ectolpasmas/Blood’s history: Ectoplasms, Mesa Fine Art, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
2008 Esperpentos y otros divertimentos familiares/Mosntrosities and other family amusements, Museum of the Americas, San Juan
COLLECTIVE EXHIBITIONS:
2017 Defend Puerto Rico Exhibition, Clemente Soto Vélez, New York City
2016 Entre reinos: conversaciones sobre el mundo natural/ Between Kingdoms: Conversations of the Natural World, Museo Casa Roig, UPRH, Humacao, Puerto Rico
En honor a Alegría, Casa histórica Alegría, Dorado
Art, Life and Politics, Gallery 128, PAFA, Philadelphia
2015 Intimate Spaces Drawing Exhibition, Alfonso Arana Foundation, San Juan
Ecotage, Matadero Contemporary Art, Guaynabo
Proximity Arts Collective, The Leaf Club, Philadelphia
Paradigmas estéticos, Interamericana University, San Juan
16 th National Exhibition, La Puntilla, San Juan
Collective Exhibition at The Museum of the Americas, Cuartel de Ballajá, San Juan
2014 Acércate, The Space Gallery, Guaynabo
Apoyarte 2, Ateneo Puertoriqueño, San Juan
A B C, Cerra Street, Santurce
Of Stories and Chimeras, Área Lugar de Proyectos, Caguas
Contemporary Nativity, Ramón Rivera Bermúdez Historic Museum of Coamo
2013 Woman’s Collective Exhibition, Calle Loíza 2050
2012 Antibody, ephimeral piece, Baldrich Park, Puerto Rico
FIART, Hotel Meliá, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
2009 Tribute to Augusto Marín, Gómez Hermanos Collection, Puerto Rico
The color of the Caribbean, Mesa Fine Art, Dominican Republic
Gifts and Gifts: Images of Women, (Emilia Quiñones Otal, Curator), Center for Advanced Studies of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean
2006-2008 ARWI, Puerto Rico Art & Wine Fair, Artist Independent Booth, Convention Center of Puerto Rico
2007 Batón Delante, Nueva emergencia de artistas en Puerto Rico/Baton Ahead, New Emerging Artists in Puerto Rico, Roig Museum House
2006 6 of Borinquen, Art Investment Gallery
Anual Exhibition, First Prize, School of Fine Arts of Puerto Rico
Circa Art Fair, Convention Center of Puerto Rico
EDUCATION:
2015- 2017 Low Residency MFA- Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia
2013 Workshop- The music in Puerto Rico: Roots and Evolution, Puerto Rico
Workshop- The investigation- Action for the Improvement of the Teaching Processes and Learning through Fine Arts Integration, Puerto Rico
Workshop- Instructional “Assesment”: Multiple Faces
Workshop- Concepts Development: Graphic Organizers
2012 Organic Engraving: Seminar/Workshop, the Integration of Fine Arts and Science in the Curriculum, Museum of Contemporary Arts of Puerto Rico
2011 International Educator Workshop (Maxine Greene Art Philosophy) in Julliard, Lincoln Center, New York
2006 Bachelor’s Degree in Image and Design, Magna Cum Laude School of the Fine Arts, Puerto Rico
2002 Concentration in Drawing and Painting, Award of Painting Central School of the Visual Arts, Santurce
TRAVELS: United States, Spain, Dominican Republic, México, Italy, England, France, Greece and Holland
EXPERIENCE IN EDUCATION:
2015- 17 Student of MFA at Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia
Neuroscience and Art, Artist Panel, School of the Fine Arts, San Juan
2013 Visual Arts Specialized Teacher, Pablo Casals Fine Arts Specialized School, Bayamón III, Department of Education of Puerto Rico
Librarian -Teacher, Community School Berwind Superior, San Juan III, Department of Education of Puerto Rico
2012 Reflective Photography Teacher, “Creating Resilient Learning Teams” Community Program
2011 Conference, “Artist and History”, Conference about art and history in Puerto Rico, Center for Advanced Studies of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean
Colloquium,“Artists Today”, with Elsa Meléndez, Abdiel Segarra and Omar Obdulio, Center for Advanced Studies of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean