Ari De La Mora
Location: St. James Farm Forest Preserve
GPS Coordinates: 41.8315872, -88.1654941
Hometown: Vancouver, Canada
Ari De La Mora is a self-taught painter focusing on mostly female portraits born and raised in Mexico. She holds a degree in Advertising with a specialization in Creative Visualization from the Universidad de la Comunicación in Mexico City. After moving to Canada, she began volunteering with the Vancouver Art Gallery.
“Through countless hours of practice, observation and reflection, I am constantly refining my art technique and exploring new possibilities, whether with oil paintings on canvas, illustrations, mix media or murals, but always exploring new possibilities.” Ari's artwork had been showcased in group and individual exhibitions in Vancouver, United States and Mexico, and has been commissioned for private and public murals across Canada.
Passionate about culture and spaces that promote connections between communities and individuals, Ari has collaborated with different Mexican consulates in Canada, museums, universities and their Latin American Studies departments, local & municipal governments, and cultural festivals as well as with community art projects and art classes.
She has also been the recipient of the Explore and Creation grant by the Canada Council for the Arts in 2019 to continue developing her personal art projects. “As an immigrant female painter, I am deeply inspired by the tapestry of culture and community that surrounds me; my art is a statement to the power of representation.”
Title of Work: Our True North
Description of Work: The true compass that guides us through life. The anatomical heart and the representation of elements of nature are intended to represent "Mother Nature", as well as "La Cultura Madre", as the Olmec culture is known. The Monarch wings represent "immigration", as this butterfly migrates from Canada to Mexico via the United States each year. I have interpreted my view of Canadian culture through endemic animals, landscapes such as the Canadian Rockies, the maple leaf, and an homage to first nations structures. Mexico is also being represented with its characteristic animals, landscapes, botanical elements and pre-Hispanic symbolism.
Click below to join our email list and receive updates directly in your inbox!
Timeline of Events
Artists in Mexico have begun painting and 15 national artists will arrive in May of 2024 to paint 15 heads here in DuPage County on-site at the McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage. This exciting international exhibition has already begun and will be completed in June of 2024.
Get Involved!
Artists can only participate by way of a sponsorship. Local, state and private institutions in the US or Mexico are invited to join in this unique opportunity to showcase modern-day murals reflecting Mexican American culture and regional interpretational art. We are confident that by participating in this project as a sponsor, you will be fulfilling the mission of your organization. Sponsors will be a part of a once in a lifetime opportunity to collaborate with multiple entities and organizations around North America, which can bring more awareness and support to your organization’s efforts. We are working together for one cultural, artistic, and educational purpose that will bring so many people together in a very unique way. Additionally, you will be supporting one of your local artists taking part in a major career opportunity that promises unique experiences, enhancement of their artistic skills, and a chance to display their talents on a monumental canvas. What an amazing opportunity!