Julia Dzikiewicz
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I enjoy painting the political. An interest in this topic runs in my family. After all, I was raised by a mother who ran political campaigns for fun. Her concern for disabled persons, children in poverty and migrant farm workers taught me to value social justice and programs that helped the poor.
In 2008, I rented my first studio space in an arts center. This Arts Center used to be a prison until new drywall was carried in and prisoners carried out. Tour groups used to stand outside my door and historian Irma Thorton told stories of Suffragists who were imprisoned and tortured. I was shocked to learn that this happened a short distance from my studio space.
I was filled with rage and wonder that almost no one else knew this history and began a series of paintings honoring the Suffragists. Later I painted contemporary women who advanced the fight.
My recent paintings look at both current and past events and feature three dimensional surfaces and LEDS. If you look closely at my work, you will find fanciful creatures like sharks, dragons, zombies, penguins, cats, and demons.