Artist Background

Tahnja Fernandez-Rivera, a native Coloradan moved to Chicago to pursue her Master’s of Art Education at Columbia College of Chicago and to escape small town life. After graduating, she shifted her focus to creating art rather than teaching it while still giving private art lessons. Using primarily acrylic paint and charcoal, she strives to express joy, peace, depth and quiet melancholy in her artwork. She displays at Greenleaf Art Center and other neighborhood spots.

A Statement from the Artist

For me, art acts as therapy. I focus on how I am feeling or an image that I can’t get out of my head and let the paint guide me to bring it into existence. Being obsessed with color, texture and form I thoroughly enjoy evoking thoughts and emotions into the viewers mind and heart. I love that art invites its us to not only observe but to also reflect as we view it. That is why no two people will interpret any piece in the same way. When a piece of art enters someone’s home or work space, it brings with it all of the thoughts and feelings that it has ever elicited.