Artist Claudia Aguilera was born in Montevideo, Uruguay, and moved to the United States at 19. Now 39 and living in Fort Lauderdale, her journey with art started when she was much younger. Aguilera’s grandmother was a drawing teacher. She always asked for her grandmother’s critique and, under her watchful eye, deepened her composition and drawing skills. Her goal as an early artist was always to make her grandmother proud.
Stepping into the World of Pop Art
The bulk of her early work was landscapes, but like so many others, she found her creative calling during COVID-19 lockdowns. That is when she began thinking outside of the box and delving more into portrait art. She found inspiration in some of her favorite artists, such as David Bowie, Ozzy Osbourne, and Jimi Hendrix.
Over time, she has expanded her work to include actors and actresses with pleasing aesthetics. The bulk of her work today is colorful, fun pop art we see today.
Oakland Park Connection
When her friend and entrepreneur Maggie, from Oakland Park’s Maggie’s Favorite Bakeshop, wanted to feature a mural in her new space, they knew it would be a perfect match. Initially, Maggie knew she wanted to feature women and flowers. When Aguilera began the project, she felt it would be great to feature a side portrait of Maggie herself – outlined in a beautiful color pallet to match the bakery’s overall feel.
The mural took about three days from start to finish. Aguilera’s smaller portraits can take anywhere from 2-3 days, and surprisingly the larger paintings take about three days to complete also. For her colorful signature illustrations, she primarily uses alcohol inks and resin, which help her achieve vibrant colors. She is also incorporating acrylics into her latest work.
When asked if Aguilera has a favorite piece, “They are all like my babies. I feel sad to let them go but happy that someone will enjoy them”. So, like a polite mother, she will not choose a favorite.
The Future is Bright
With past exhibits at places like Spectrum Miami during Art Basel, Aguilera hopes her first mural right here in Oakland Park will not be her last. With her bright compositions and colorful creativity, we expect to see a lot more of her work around town – especially in Oakland Park.
If you would like to see more of Claudia Aguilera’s work, her Instagram is: claudiaaguilera83
