Denise Vezza-Maggiore

I’ve been a creative soul since childhood, creating art to express my inner thoughts and emotions. I was an award winning undergraduate at Illinois State University, where I earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts. I often use the figure as a vehicle of expression. The images cover a wide range of emotions and are sometimes stark with a primitive intensity. Dynamic tensions are achieved through deliberate simplicity of design, distortion and exaggeration of elements, patterning of contrasting components, and an expressive use of color. I look for techniques to enhance the subject, working on appearance and meaning simultaneously. With these images I symbolize the essence of life and the soul of the subject, while allowing the viewer to associate the imagery to their own personal experience and to explore new ways of understanding the world. My hope is to evoke a deeper understanding and appreciation of life, and to see the inherent beauty and worth of all people. Recently I have expanded my vision to overlay abstract symbolism into an image combining earthly and cosmic elements that help define the spiritual aspects of life.