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Evita Tezeno

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Evita Tezeno
Born (1960-05-09) 9 May 1960 (age 64)
Port Arthur, Texas, US
Alma materLamar University
Known forCollage art, visual art
AwardsGuggenheim Fellowship

Evita Tezeno (born May 9, 1960[1]) is an American artist currently based in Dallas, Texas.[2][3][4] She works in collage art, employing patterned hand-painted papers and found objects.[5][6][7] Tezeno's work is influenced by modernists including Romare Bearden, and is characterized by depictions of scenes from her life, family, and childhood memories in South Texas.[8] Her work aims to present a cohesive portrayal of Black America, drawing inspiration from artists such as Elizabeth Catlett and William H. Johnson. In 2012, she was awarded the Elizabeth Catlett Printmaking Award.[5]

Tezeno received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2023, in recognition of her contributions to the fine arts.[9][10] Her artworks are featured in the African American Museum of Dallas, Dallas Museum of Fine Arts and the Embassy of the Republic of Madagascar,[8][9][3][11] and her works have been acquired by Samuel L. Jackson, Denzel Washington, Star Jones, Laurie David, Esther Silver-Parker, David Hoberman and Susan Taylor.[10][12][1][13] According to Vogue magazine, "her uplifting work has lately been gaining attention in the art crowd, both regionally and across the country."[14]

Tezeno designed the Congo Square poster for the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in 1999, making her the first female artist to undertake this task.[1] Her group exhibitions have included "Phenomenal Women #UsToo" (2019) at the African American Museum, Dallas.[13][15][14][16]

Early life

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Tezeno is a native of Port Arthur, Texas.[10][17][18][19][13] After completing her primary education, she pursued a Bachelor of Science degree in Graphic Design at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas, graduating in 1984.[1]

Artistry

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Tezeno works in collage paintings that integrate patterned hand-painted papers and found objects.[20][21] Each piece is a visual symphony, weaving together threads of personal narrative and broader societal themes. Her sources of inspiration include familial ties and childhood memories in South Texas, and the influence of 20th-century modernists like Romare Bearden, Elizabeth Catlett, and William H. Johnson.[22] She incorporates vintage buttons inherited from her grandmother in most of her pieces.[23][24]

Tezeno was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship for fine arts and the Elizabeth Catlett Award for "The New Power Generation".[5] Her work has been exhibited in the African American Museum of Dallas, the Embassy of the Republic of Madagascar, the Pizzuti Collection in Columbus, Ohio, the Bill and Christy Gautreaux Collection in Kansas City, Missouri, and the Beth Rudin DeWoody Collection in Palm Beach, Florida.[25][26] She has been commissioned for the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans, The Deep Ellum Film Festival in Dallas, and the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival ("Jazz Fest"), where she was the first female artist to design its Congo Square poster in 1999.[1]

Exhibitions

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Her solo exhibitions have included "Better Days" (2021) at Luis De Jesus Los Angeles, "Memories Create Our Yesterdays and Tomorrows" (2019) at Thelma Harris Gallery, "Thoughts of Time Gone By" (2017) at the Peg Alston Gallery,[27][28] "The Moments We Share Are the Memories We Keep" (2023) at Luis De Jesus Los Angeles in Los Angeles, California and “Out of Many” (2023) at Houston Museum of African American Culture in Houston, Texas,[29][30] "My Life, My Story" at Luis De Jesus Los Angeles,[16]

"Sharing Memories" (2021) was a two-person exhibition with Jas Mardis at the ArtCentre of Plano in Plano, Texas.[3][31] She also participated in "Thoughts of Time Gone By" (2017) at the Peg Alston Gallery in New York City, and "Memories from Yesterday" (2014) at the same venue, "Phenomenal Women #UsTo" (2019) at the African American Museum in Dallas, Texas, and "Daughter of Diaspora – Women of Color Speak" (2018) at the Hearne Fine Art Gallery in Little Rock, Arkansas.[32][33][34]

In 2023, "Talk of the Town: A Dallas Art Museum Pop Up Exhibition" was held at the NorthPark Centre in Dallas, Texas, and "Layer / Build: Contemporary Collage" at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts Gallery 51 in North Adams, Massachusetts.[35][36]

Personal life

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Tezeno adopted a vegan lifestyle in the late 1980s, influenced by her Seventh-day Adventist beliefs.[14] Her dietary shift stirred controversy with her family, accustomed to annual traditions centered around preparation of freshly butchered meats. She said in a 2023 interview, "My family thought I'd lost my mind, that I was gonna just shrivel up and die.".[14] She also hosted a raw-food cooking show in the early 2010s.[37]

Solo exhibitions

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  • Thoughts of Time Gone By, Peg Alston Gallery, New York, New York (2017)[38]
  • Memories That Speak to My Soul, Stella Jones Gallery, New Orleans, Louisiana (2018)[39]
  • Memories Create Our Yesterdays and Tomorrows, Thelma Harris Gallery, Oakland, California (2019)[40]
  • Sharing Memories, Evita Tezeno and Jas Mardis, ArtCentre of Plano, Plano, Texas (2021)[31]
  • Better Days, Luis De Jesus Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California (2021)[27]
  • My Life, My Story, Luis De Jesus Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California (2022)[16]
  • The Moments We Share, Are the Memories We Keep, Luis De Jesus Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California (2023)[30]
  • Out of Many, Houston Museum of African American Culture, Houston, Texas (2023)[19]

Collections

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Awards

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  • 2012 Elizabeth Catlett Printmaking Award, The New Power Generation, Hampton University, Hampton, Virginia[38]
  • 2023 Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship in Fine Arts, John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, New York, New York[9]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Evita Tezeno – U.S. Department of State". Retrieved 2024-03-14.
  2. ^ Forbes, Dennis (2008). Studios and workspaces of black American artists. United States: Dennis L. Forbes. pp. 144–145. ISBN 978-0-9745509-1-6. OCLC 646863638.
  3. ^ a b c "Evita Tezeno | Contemporary Artist". PLATFORM. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
  4. ^ "Artists in Dialogue | Delita Martin & Evita Tezeno". The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Retrieved 2024-03-22.
  5. ^ a b c "Dallas Art Fair - Conversation: Nate Freeman & Evita Tezeno | Events - Nasher Sculpture Center". www.nashersculpturecenter.org. Retrieved 2024-02-27.
  6. ^ Mowinski, Melanie (2022). Collage your life: techniques, prompts, and inspiration for creative self-expression and visual storytelling. North Adams, MA: Storey Publishing. pp. 118–121. ISBN 978-1-63586-357-4.
  7. ^ Henderson, Teri (2021). BLACK COLLAGISTS: The Book. Yakima, Washington, USA: Kanyer Publishing. pp. 84–87. ISBN 978-0-578-33692-3.
  8. ^ a b c d "Solace and Sisterhood". Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
  9. ^ a b c "Evita Tezeno". John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation... Retrieved 2024-02-28.
  10. ^ a b c Walker • •, Noelle (2023-04-24). "North Texas-Based Artist Profiled in Pages of High Fashion Magazine". NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
  11. ^ "The Best Not-So-Little Art Fair in Texas". Town & Country. 2022-05-13. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
  12. ^ "Evita Tezeno". Thelma Harris Art Gallery. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
  13. ^ a b c "The Houston Museum of African American Culture Presents: Evita Tezeno: Out of Many". Black Art In America™ Gallery & Gardens. 2023-03-22. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
  14. ^ a b c d "The Rising Dallas Artist Spotlighting Black Life—and Black Joy—in the South". Vogue. 2023-04-20. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
  15. ^ a b "How to Build an Art Town". Harper's BAZAAR. 2023-05-11. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
  16. ^ a b c d e "Evita Tezeno: My Life, My Story". Artillery Magazine. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
  17. ^ a b c "EVITA TEZENO BREAKS THROUGH". issuu. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
  18. ^ "The Houston Museum of African American Culture Presents: Evita Tezeno: Out of Many". Black Art In America™ Gallery & Gardens. 2023-03-22. Retrieved 2024-03-12.
  19. ^ a b "Dallas artist Evita Tezeno, whose work centers Black life and joy, is becoming a sensation". Dallas News. 2023-04-26. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
  20. ^ "MFAH Presents "Multiplicity: Blackness in Contemporary American Collage" in February 2024". The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Retrieved 2024-03-20.
  21. ^ Hollis, Phyllis (2023-03-01). "Episode 142 – A Conversation with Evita Tezeno | Cerebral Women". Retrieved 2024-03-15.
  22. ^ Anspon, Catherine D. (2023-04-13). "An Artist, Curator, a Collector Share the Must-See Works at the 2023 Dallas Art Fair". PaperCity Magazine. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
  23. ^ "Local Event: Opening Reception/ Evita Tezeno: The Moments We Share Are The Memories We Keep". Los Angeles, CA Patch. 2023-08-23. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
  24. ^ Valentine, Victoria L. (2021-04-06). "On View: 'Evita Tezeno: Better Days' at Luis De Jesus Gallery in Los Angeles". Culture Type. Retrieved 2024-03-20.
  25. ^ a b Rédaction, La (2023-10-19). ""The Moments We Share Are the Memories We Keep": a moving exhibition by Evita Tezeno at the Luis De Jesus Los Angeles art gallery". ON ART MEDIA. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
  26. ^ a b "Evita Tezeno | We all go through changes (2023) | Available for Sale | Artsy". www.artsy.net. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
  27. ^ a b "Evita Tezeno: Better Days". Artsy. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
  28. ^ a b "EVITA TEZENO - Exhibitions - Luis De Jesus Los Angeles". www.luisdejesus.com. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
  29. ^ "Evita Tezeno: The Moments We Share Are the Memories We Keep". Contemporary And (in German). Retrieved 2024-03-15.
  30. ^ a b "EVITA TEZENO: The Moments We Share Are the Memories We Keep". Artsy. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
  31. ^ a b Lacey, Hunter (2021-02-01). "ArtCentre of Plano Honors Black History Month". Plano Magazine. Retrieved 2024-03-16.
  32. ^ admin (2023-09-07). "Evita Tezeno". AFRICANAH.ORG. Retrieved 2024-03-16.
  33. ^ "Daughters of the Diaspora–Women of Color Speak". WomenArts. Retrieved 2024-03-16.
  34. ^ "Tezeno, Evita, (Pookie)". Black Art In America™ Gallery & Gardens. Retrieved 2024-03-20.
  35. ^ Center, NorthPark. "NorthPark Center | High Fashion & Luxury Shopping in Dallas". northparkcenter.com. Retrieved 2024-03-16.
  36. ^ "New Group Exhibition, "Layer/Build: Collage Explored," Opens at Gallery 51". www.mcla.edu. Retrieved 2024-03-16.
  37. ^ "Dare To Dream Network". d2dnetwork.tv. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
  38. ^ a b "Evita Tezeno – SECCI". Retrieved 2024-03-16.
  39. ^ ""Memories That Speak to My Soul" | Evita Tezeno - Exhibitions - Arts District New Orleans". www.artsdistrictneworleans.com. Retrieved 2024-03-16.
  40. ^ "Memories Create Our Yesterdays and Tomorrows Opening and Artist Reception". Thelma Harris Art Gallery. 2019-06-21. Retrieved 2024-03-16.
  41. ^ "Get ready for a week of art around town at the Dallas Art Fair". KERA News. 2022-04-19. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
  42. ^ a b "2021 Program and Workshop Archive | Dallas Area Fiber Artists". www.dallasfiberartists.org. Retrieved 2024-03-20.
  43. ^ Anspon, Catherine D. (2023-04-13). "An Artist, Curator, a Collector Share the Must-See Works at the 2023 Dallas Art Fair". PaperCity Magazine. Retrieved 2024-03-20.
  44. ^ a b "Modern Muses exhibit to celebrate female artists this fall". Local Profile. 2019-09-06. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
  45. ^ "EVITA TEZENO: The Moments We Share Are the Memories We Keep". Art Week. 2023-08-20. Retrieved 2024-03-20.
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