Herron School of Art + Design

As Hispanic Heritage Month comes to a close, we’re celebrating with our final student highlight featuring Ilse Peña-Lopez. Swipe to see artwork by one of our talented students and learn more about Ilse! ✨

How does your artwork reflect your heritage?

“It’s hard to notice my heritage being shown in my work because it’s not straightforward, but I’ll say it’s more about the themes that I create that reflect my heritage. Some Mexican mythology and urban legends, caring about our planet, and colors are some parts of my culture that I feel are reflected in my work. Especially color! I can’t do anything without color or at least try to incorporate it somehow! Even on occasion, some of my pieces of work can have Mexican food incorporated either as the subject or a background piece. While it’s subtle, tiny influences of my heritage, such as the food, the stories, or the colors, are very much reflected in my artwork, just like how it’s reflected in me as a person. I think the best way I can put it is if I were a holiday, it would be Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos); it has memory, nostalgia, (vibrant) colors, and food!” — Ilse Peña-Lopez

#hispanicheritagemonth #studentartwork #hispanicartist