CHARLOTTE — The colorful creations by artist Irisol Gonzalez can be spotted in Concord to Cornelius to the Queen City,
Originally from Costa Rica, Gonzalez moved to Hickory with her family as a child. A few years ago, she moved to Charlotte for a job in finance but eventually left it to pursue her true passion of art. Now she’s studying to get her Master of Fine Arts at Yale University.
“My work is realistic and symbolic,” she explains. “The fine art touches on topics of sexism in Latin American culture, machismo … while my public art is more celebratory and inclusive of the communities of where it goes in.”
Gonzalez said she wants people to “be confronted with truths about the way that they see themselves and the way they see the society that they live,” when they see her fine art.
“And the public artwork, it’s more a sense of pride, a sense of belonging,” she said.
>> In the video at the top of this page, Your704′s Elsa Gillis talks to Gonzalez about the importance of Hispanic Heritage Month.
If you want to check out some of her art, go to irisolgonzalez.com.
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