Martanoemí Noriega
Biography
Panamanian Visual Artist whose body of work includes Illustration, Muralism, Writing, Filmmaking and Poetry Reading in Public Transportation. She has conducted art workshops across the nation and abroad in places like: Malaysia, England, Portugal, Spain and Italy. She values her role as a StoryListener beyond anything else. This has inspired her to move her artistic practice from academic and cultural settings to the streets of Panama. Among all of her artistic interventions in public spaces, it is significant to note her murals.
Using her own methods, she has co-created murals with refugees, kids with Down syndrome, people with autism, communities hoping to preserve their historical memory, and many others. She has conceived and led the largest community art initiatives using murals in Panama. She is currently working as an editorial illustrator and focusing her personal artwork on producing images that highlight her roots as an afro and indigenous person.
Talk Details
Art: A gateway to human connection
We understand art creation is rooted in the artist’s inner emotions, thoughts, and experiences. It is a concept that was born during the Romantic period in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. What was art before that moment? For many ancient civilizations it was primarily a medium, a tool to connect with the divine. Sculptures, artworks, and various creative expressions were employed in ceremonies and rituals, presented as offerings to gods and goddesses.
What happens when you shift the focus away from the artist’s self-expression and return to the idea of art as a medium? What happens when art serves as a vehicle for authentic and meaningful interaction? The pursuit of artistic expression shifts from being the main goal to a pretext for connecting with the shared humanity that unites us all. In a world that often praises charismatic speakers, the transformative potential of genuine, inquisitive listening is overlooked.