Sylvia Marina Martinez is a Chicana/Honduran American mixed media collage artist, born & raised in Southern California. Marina's art aims to heal, inspire, and provide hope and comfort. A childhood cancer survivor and breast cancer survivor, Marina suffered a catastrophic life-threatening hemorrhagic stroke in 2018 at the age 44, her healing process led to this current iteration of expression. She received her BA in Cultural Anthropology from UC Berkeley in 1996 and a Masters of Public Health from Columbia University in 2000. Her career has ranged from doing research in public health and implementing community health programs for underserved populations, project management and grant writing for community youth organizations as well as project management in the arts/music industry, and as an artisan/entrepreneur creating home décor (Mexican Talavera tile serving trays). Marina makes art to heal her own trauma and intends for her art to provide comfort and hope to those who may need it. Marina's art is influenced by the folk & street art of her Los Angeles/Chicana/Honduran heritage, political art posters, magical realism literature of Latin America, poetry, and the natural world/ landscapes of the Southwest, Coastal California, and Latin America. Additionally, she seeks to share stories of resilience, hope, and survival while preserving history and educating about the cultural and socio-political history of the American continent.
STATEMENT OF PRACTICE/PROCESS
Usually when I get an idea or a commission, I first gather as much information about the person, place, history, and mood seeking to be conveyed. I also spend time in meditation and listen to related music as well - I rely on messages that bubble from the collective unconscious. I also research old newspaper articles and photography using public or university libraries & archives. I make sure I only use assets that are available in public domain or are licensed for use in commercial work. I’m still developing my methodology and process as I’m fairly new in this journey. I approach the art as its own entity that wants to speak and I feel I’m the conduit. I’m a lifelong learner and committed to my growth as an artist and as a someone who seeks to make a contribution to culture and historical storytelling.