101: The Power Of Refusing To Make Others Comfortable - With Plus-Size Artist Gina M. Contreras (NSFW)

If you saw my December post or are a BPU premium subscriber, you might remember artist Gina M. Contreras. I had so much fun talking about her that I reached out and asked if she might be open to letting me talk with her for an exclusive BPU interview. And she said yes! Below read my conversation with Gina and scroll through to see some of her amazing (NSFW!) work.

Virgie: When and how did you start painting self-portraits?

Gina: My earlier work dealt with the idea of finding love at the end of your life (dark I know). Then about 8 years ago, when I was 28, I experienced my first real heartbreak. Like every heartbreak it felt very lonely, but I also felt very embarrassed. Embarrassed because this “romance” was new and cut very short. My way of coping with these new feelings and experiences was through drawing and painting.

Later as I became more comfortable sharing my experiences with men, self portraits became involved.

Virgie: Can you discuss your choice of color palette, media, and motifs (the penises, the flowers, the religious icons, the bed and being in your bedroom)?

Gina: I love using tones and patterns that are relatable and spark connections to memories. I tend to use a variety of browns for skin tones, bright vibrant colors for backgrounds and classic floral patterns are a staple to my Mexican American/Chicana upbringing.

I grew up in a somewhat catholic household and I always loved and felt comfort with most religious iconography but mainly of the Virgen de Guadalupe.

The penises and penis drawings came later in life (after the breakup). I've always said, “I like penises, but only dicks like me.”

Virgie: Do you think of your work as body positive?

Gina: Yes, my work is body positive because I am being true to myself. I’m sharing with you the vulnerability of the body and allowing you to see me the way I want you to see me.

Virgie: The scale of your work has gotten larger over time (which I love!). Can you discuss that?

Gina: I think I've just gained more confidence, personally and professionally, throughout the years.

Virgie: What is the significance of your earlier paintings of elder people?

Gina: In my earlier work I felt like I was very lonely - not because I moved away from my family or didn't have friends but because I wanted to be in love. In my twenties it felt like it would never happen. Around the same time I was reading articles about older people hooking up and falling in love in nursing homes. It gave me comfort knowing that people have a chance to fall in love and start all over towards the end of life.

Virgie: Do you have any advice for an aspiring plus-size/woman artist or artist of color?

Gina: Trust your intuition and know your worth.

Class dismissed.

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