We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Nerissa Gómez. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Nerissa below.

Hi Nerissa, thanks for joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

I believe every project is meaningful as they play a part in the evolution process that every artist goes through. I can say, however, that my most meaningful project is the newest series of portraits I am working on. This series will feature over a dozen women who I know personally. I am incorporating design elements inspired by retro wallpaper and textiles too. I pour a lot of myself into each of these portraits, because each piece represents how I see myself in that subject. I create every piece so that the viewer is taken in by an overall mood. I photograph the subjects myself, and then I create a design inspired by their look. It’s a pretty fun process. They’ve all been really great sports about the photos, because I keep taking shots until I get the look in their eyes that I’m looking for. It’s all in the eyes! This project means a lot to me, because I admire each one of these women. Their struggle and stories of resilience are what inspired this series. We’ve shared our stories of trauma, we’ve bonded, and we’ve cultivated mutual respect for one another. It’s this group of women who have seen me through some of my worst times. Without them, I probably would not be here today. We have also shared in many great times and celebrations, too. I’ve named the series “En tus ojos mios”, which translated means “In your eyes; are mine”. I cannot wait to exhibit this collection together for the first time.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I was always drawn to art. As a kid, I’d spend hours doodling or looking at the beautiful illustrations in children’s books at the university library while my mom studied. As the daughter of an immigrant, you’re raised to believe your career paths should be in law or the sciences. I tried that, and I ultimately decided that I needed to pursue what felt right. I graduated with a BFA, and then got my first events job at the Museum of Fine arts, Houston. I find that I am most happy when I’m surrounded by beauty, history and creativity. I am now Special Events Director for the Kathrine G. McGovern College of the Arts. I am grateful that I have continued to work in places that drive my creativity. I have continued to create work even as I thrive in my special events career. I am grateful for both things. I use art as a means of expression, and I am fortunate enough to not have to depend on it to pay the bills. I care very much how my work affects the viewer, and it’s special to see how people react to message you convey through visual art.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I feel like there can be a common misconception that a main objective of artists is to seek out attention. What I’d want non- creatives to maybe understand is that creatives are putting themselves out there every day, trying to find a connection to the world in their own way. It can be scary. It’s hard to open ourselves up to rejection or misinterpretation. We do it because we have something we want to say, and our art form is how we best know to express it.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

This is a great question. Having taken part in many group art critiques, I got the impression that every piece I created had to have a meaning or some fully formed message I’m relaying to the viewer. This kind of thinking often ended in a bad case of painter’s block. Last year, I attended a gallery talk at the Blaffer Museum at the University of Houston (My alma mater). The message I took away from the work being shown was that every piece on display had been a part of a creative process and not necessarily associated with one another. It was a collection of the artist’s best, most refined work, along with her original, authentic ideas that had been part of her creative process. I had to unlearn this concept of “every piece has to be your best”. I think artists can be their own worst critics, so it was encouraging to see that every phase of her creative process was being equally celebrated within museum walls.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.nerissagomez.com
• Instagram: neri_gomez_art
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nerissa-gomez-64246b176/

Image Credits
Artist headshot – credit to Laura Burlton: Houston Tintype Studio